Physiopathology and genetics in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

INTRODUCTION

Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is a clinical entity characterized by hypersensitivity to aspirin leading to asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasosinusal polyposis. The pathophysiology of the disease involves disruption at the level of arachidonic acid metabolism. Therefore, genetic association studies have been focused on the genes coding this pathway. As other mechanisms involved in the genesis of the disease were elucidated, the corresponding genes were also explored.

AIM: To describe the association reported in the literature between gene polymorphisms involved in the pathophysiology or therapeutic processes of AERD.

RESULTS

There is a genetic association between polymorphisms of genes involved in the synthesis of proteins related to arachidonic acid metabolism (LTC4S, ALOX5), antigen presentation (HLA), inflammation (IL5, IL17), and aspirin metabolism (CYP2C19).

CONCLUSIONS

Genetic association research in AERD has evaluated studies of SNPs in metabolic pathways related to arachidonic acid. Recently, whole genome analysis strategies have allowed the detection of new genetic variants that were previously not considered. Furthermore, these studies have identified SNPs that are associated with inflammatory processes, which could serve as diagnostic markers or predictors of the therapeutic response.