The aims of this study were to evaluate whether there is an association between Asp358Ala</span> and COPD or asthma risk, and to explore the role of the Asp358Ala variant in sIL-6R shedding from neutrophils and its pro-inflammatory effects in the lung.
Although a common, non-synonymous variant in the IL-6 receptor gene (IL6R Asp358Ala; rs2228145 A>C) is associated with the risk of several common diseases, with the 358Ala allele conferring protection from coronary heart disease (CHD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), atrial fibrillation (AF), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and increased susceptibility to asthma, the variant's effect on IL-6 signaling is not known.
The IL6R coding SNP rs2228145 (Asp(358)Ala) is a potential modifier of lung function in subjects with asthma and might identify subjects at risk for more severe asthma.