RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate two single nucleotide polymorphism sites of T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein-4 (TIM4) and to detect their relationship with allergic asthma in a population of Hans from Hubei province of China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The polymorphisms (8570G > A and 11515C > A) were detected with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 145 cases of allergic asthma and 130 healthy controls. The genotype and allele frequencies were calculated and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The genotype frequencies of GG, GA and AA in 8570G > A polymorphism were 0.985, 0.015 and 0 respectively in the healthy population and 0.931, 0.069 and 0 respectively in the allergic asthma population. There was significant difference in genotype and allele frequencies between the allergic asthma patients and control subjects (P=0. 030, P=0.032). The polymorphism of 11515C>o A was not detected.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The polymorphism of 8570G > A in TIM4 may be associated with allergic asthma in the population of Han nationality from Hubei province of China.</p>