Effects of TMEM232 variant on blood lymphocyte counts in relation to incidence of infant atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is caused by interactions between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Transmembrane protein 232 (TMEM232) is one of the genes strongly implicated in AD. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between AD with variants within TMEM232 based on environmental factors, including feeding method. We performed a candidate gene association study involving the Cohort for Childhood Origins of Asthma and Allergic Diseases (infants, n = 1,054). A single variant of the TMEM232 gene, rs17132261, was found to be significantly associated with AD. Subjects carrying the wild-type allele (C) of rs17132261 had lower blood lymphocyte count than those carrying the variant rs17132261 (T). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between TMEM232 gene polymorphism and an increased risk of AD in one year old infants. Moreover, rs17132261 was associated with decreased blood lymphocyte counts in infants breastfed for six months. The group with the CC genotype showed lower lymphocyte counts than CT and TT carriers when breastfed. Our findings demonstrate that the TMEM232 risk allele, in combination with breastfeeding, lowers the number of lymphocytes, which could be a potential risk factor for AD.