Associations confirmed that the 17q12-17q21.1 locus harbours a genetic determinant for asthma risk in adults and suggest that in addition to the previously known ORMDL3-GSDM locus, CSF3-PSMD3-MED24 also plays a role in asthma pathogenesis.
Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is an important component of high-density lipoprotein particles that mediates reverse cholesterol transport out of cells by interacting with the ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABCA1). apoA-I has also been shown to attenuate neutrophilic airway inflammation in experimental ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma by reducing the expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF).
Airway smooth muscle is actively involved in the inflammatory process in diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma by 1) contributing to airway narrowing through hyperplasia and hypertrophy and 2) the release of GM-CSF and G-CSF, which promotes the survival and activation of infiltrating leukocytes.