Sex specific protective effects of interleukin-9 receptor haplotypes on childhood wheezing and sensitisation

Abstract
The interleukin-9 receptor gene (IL9R), located on the pseudoautosomal region of X and Y chromosomes (Xq28 and Yq126, 7), has previously been associated with asthma in two separate family based data sets.8, 9 Haplotype analyses of polymorphic microsatellite markers in one of the studies9 revealed significant associations, predominantly in females, which suggest that the influence may be sex specific. However, to our knowledge no study on associations between IL9R single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and asthma and allergy has yet been reported.