Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
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Several chromosomal regions have been identified using family-based linkage analysis to contain genes contributing to the development of asthma and allergic disorders. One of these regions, chromosome 2q32-q33, contains a gene cluster containing CFLAR, CASP10 and CASP8. These genes regulate the extrinsic apoptosis pathway utilized by several types of immune and structural cells that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. ⋯ These data suggest a role for CASP10 as a potential modifier of the asthma phenotype, specifically with measures of airway obstruction and BHR.