ADAM33 genetic polymorphisms, smoking, and rhinoconjunctivitis in Japanese women: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

Two previous studies have demonstrated a significant relationship between ADAM33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and allergic rhinitis. Here, we investigated this issue in young adult Japanese women. The study included 393 women who met the criteria of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) for rhinoconjunctivitis. Controls included 767 women without rhinoconjunctivitis according to the ISAAC criteria who had not been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by a doctor. The GC genotype of rs2787094, the CT genotype of rs628977, and the haplotype containing the rs2787094 C allele, the rs628977 T allele, the rs2853209 T allele, and the rs612709 G allele were significantly inversely associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. The AA genotype of rs2853209, the GA genotype of rs612709, and the haplotype carrying the rs2787094 G allele, the rs628977 C allele, the rs2853209 A allele, and the rs612709 G allele were significantly positively associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. A significant inverse relationship between rs628977 and rhinoconjunctivitis was demonstrated only in women who had never smoked, indicating a significant interaction between rs628977 and smoking. Our results suggest that SNPs and haplotypes in the ADAM33 gene are associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. This study is the first to demonstrate an interaction between rs628977 and smoking that affects rhinoconjunctivitis.