This study was undertaken to investigate the potential contribution of NOD2 signaling, proinflammatory cytokines, chitotriosidase (CHIT1) activity, oxidative stress and DNA damage to atopic asthma pathogenesis, as well as to explore their possible role as surrogate noninvasive biomarkers for monitoring asthma severity.
This is the first study conducted in India which reports a significant association between 24 bp duplication in CHIT1 gene polymorphism and asthma in the studied North Indian population.
Our results suggest that CCL18 and YKL-40 levels and CHIT1 activity are enhanced in allergic airway inflammation and thus may contribute to airway remodelling in asthma.
Two types of human chitinases, chitotriosidase and acidic mammalian chitinase, and the chitinase-like protein, YKL-40, seem to play an important role in asthma.
Acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) and chitotriosidase (CHIT1) have chitinolytic activity, but relatively little is known about their expression in human asthma.