Genetic polymorphisms of the beta-2 adrenergic receptor in Israelis with severe asthma compared to non-asthmatic Israelis.

Background: It has been argued that arginine replacement in locus 16 (Arg16) of beta 2 adrenergic receptor with glycin (Gly16) increases asthma severity, while glutamin replacement in locus 27 (Gln27) with glutamic acid (Glu27) decreases it. In addition, ethnic dependency of these polymorphisms has been described, but few studies investigated its relation to asthma severity in a non-anglosaxic population.

Objectives: To investigate non-anglosaxic ethnic influences on beta 2AR polymorphisms and its correlations to asthma severity.