Familial aggregation of nasal polyps among asthmatics

S206 Abstracts

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Familial Aggregation of Nasal Polyps Among Asthmatics

MONDAY

S. W. Haroldson, A. C. Decker, M. N. Blumenthal; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. RATIONALE: Previous work has suggested a hereditary factor in the development of nasal polyps. The purpose of this study is to further evaluate this topic among a subset of asthmatic patients and their nuclear families. METHODS: A total of 120 families were studied. Families were ascertained by the presence of asthma in two siblings and if both parents were living. All subjects answered a validated asthma questionnaire, had a methacholine challenge and/or reversibility study using albuterol inhalation, and received prick skin testing to a set of common allergens. The determination of nasal polyps was made by self-report on the questionnaire. RESULTS: The frequency of nasal polyps among the total population (including all family members) was 4.9%, compared to a frequency of 11.9% among the asthmatic sibling pairs. Of the 120 families studied, 3 had sibling pairs in which both had nasal polyps, 106 had sibling pairs in which neither had polyps and 11 were discordant for nasal polyps. A chisquare test was used to test for familial aggregation. This level of concordance was statistically significant (p value of <.01). CONCLUSIONS: The familial clustering seen in this study suggests that heredity may have a role in the development of nasal polyps among asthmatics. Funding: NIH-NHLBI

J ALLERGY CLIN IMMUNOL FEBRUARY 2004