The Polymorphisms of C-Reactive Protein Gene Modify the Association Between Central Obesity and Lung Function in Taiwan Asthmatics

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations and obesity are proposed to have a significant relationship with impairment of lung function, but little has been reported to date on the association between CRP gene and lung function. We studied the association of three tagSNPs (tag single nucleotide polymorphisms) of CRP gene and their interactions with central obesity on lung function. A total of 384 asthmatic adults and 384 controls who were 1:1 matched by sex and age were recruited for this study. Three tagSNPs polymorphisms for CRP rs1417938, rs1800947 and rs1205 were selected from HapMap data and genotyping by using TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. A questionnaire interview, body composition and pulmonary function tests were performed. CRP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) did not increase the risk of asthma, but CRP rs1205 CC genotype significantly decreased the predictive value of forced vital capacity (FVC) in the asthma group (adjusted mean change = −7.54%, 95% CI = −13.82 to −1.25%). Waist-to-hip ratio, not body mass index, also decreased the predictive value of FVC in asthmatics. The subjects with central obesity who carried CRP SNPs have a significant reduction effect in lung function. The current results suggest that central obesity may play a major role in lung function, and these effects were modified significantly by the polymorphisms for CRP gene.