Association between bronchial asthma and TSLP gene polymorphism: A Systematic review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Aims: This study entails an association between bronchial asthma and common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) gene; rs2289278, rs3806933, rs2289276, and rs1837253. Methods: The databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for studies reporting TSLP polymorphisms and asthma from inception to January 2022. Hardy-Weinberg equilibriums (HWE) for each polymorphism of the control group were checked using the Chi-square test. The association was estimated by means of odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) in both dominant and recessive modes of inheritance respectively. Results: Altogether, 11 studies with 3121 asthma cases and 3041 healthy controls were added. Results from six studies showed that the SNP rs2289278 had a protective role in asthma development (OR=0.65, 95% CI= 0.44 - 0.97, P=0.04). Pooling of four studies showed that the SNP rs3806933 had higher odds of developing asthma (OR=1.32, 95% CI=1.14 - 1.54, P < 0.01). However, the SNP rs2289276 and rs1837253 showed no significant association. From the subgroup analysis, SNPs rs2289278 and rs1837253 were protective against the development of asthma in Asia. However, SNP rs2289276 showed a risk association in Asia and in adults. Conclusion: This meta-analysis shows that the SNP rs2289278 has a protective effect on the development of asthma; whereas rs3806933 has a risk of asthma. Additionally, this study adds genomic-based support to the recent FDA approval of tezepelumab, an anti-TSLP agent.