Atopic dermatitis is associated with a functional mutation in the promoter of the C-C chemokine RANTES

Renate G. Nickel, Vincenzo Casolaro, Ulrich Wahn, Kirsten Beyer, Kathleen C. Barnes, Beverly S. Plunkett, Linda R. Freidhoff, Claudia Sengler, James R. Plitt, Robert P. Schleimer, Luis Caraballo, Raana P. Naidu, Paul N. Levett, Terri H. Beaty, Shau Ku Huang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

268 Scopus citations

Abstract

Up-regulation of C-C chemokine expression characterizes allergic inflammation and atopic diseases. A functional mutation in the proximal promoter of the RANTES gene has been identified, which results in a new consensus binding site for the GATA transcription factor family. A higher frequency of this allele was observed in individuals of African descent compared with Caucasian subjects (p < 0.00001). The mutant allele was associated with atopic dermatitis in children of the German Multicenter Allergy Study (MAS-90; p < 0.037), but not with asthma. Transient transfections of the human mast cell line HMC-1 and the T cell line Jurkat with reporter vectors driven by either the mutant or wild-type RANTES promoter showed an up to 8-fold higher constitutive transcriptional activity of the mutant promoter. This is the first report to our knowledge of a functional mutation in a chemokine gene promoter. Our findings suggest that the mutation contributes to the development of atopic dermatitis. Its potential role in other inflammatory and infectious disorders, particularly among individuals of African ancestry, remains to be determined.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1612-1616
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Immunology
Volume164
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2000

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Atopic dermatitis is associated with a functional mutation in the promoter of the C-C chemokine RANTES'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this