Background: CCL2 is a chemokine; also known as monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) influences inflammation severity and reactive airway response through its interaction with its receptor CCR2-V64I. Single nucleotide polymorphism of MCP-1-2518 A/G gene increases the level of MCP-1 expression in response to inflammatory stimuli, in addition its receptor CCR2-V64I polymorphism is more common among subjects with asthma.
Aim of the Work: To study genetic polymorphisms (MCP-1-2518) and (CCR2-V64I) in pediatric asthma and their effect on susceptibility and severity.
Methods: We conducted a prospective hospital-based case-control study that included 48 children with asthma and 23 healthy control children recruited from outpatient clinics of New Children Hospital, Cairo University Hospitals, Cairo University, Egypt. MCP- 1 and CCR2-V64I gene mutation were detected by polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR- RFLP).
Results: A/G MCP-1-2518 polymorphism was significantly higher among asthma patients 23 (47.9% ) versus 4 (17.4%) in controls (p = 0.01), Among patients A/G MCP-1-2518 polymorphism was present in 7 (30.4%), 10 (43.5%), 6 (26.1%) of cases of mild, moderate and severe asthma respectively with no significant difference (p = 0.46). G/A CCR2-V64I polymorphism was found in 18 (18.8%) of asthma patients versus 7 (30.4%) in controls with no significant difference (p = 0.27), among patients polymorphism was found in 3 (33.3%), 4 (44.4%), 2 (22.2%) of cases of mild, moderate and severe asthma respectively (p = 0.71).
Conclusion: In pediatric asthma MCP-1 (A/G -2518) polymorphism was significantly higher among asthma patients and might prove to increase asthma susceptibility, but its relation to asthma severity could not be confirmed. CCR2-V64I polymorphism had no relation to asthma susceptibility nor severity in our studied group of patients.  Further analyses should be carried out on larger population-based studies.