Asthma susceptibility gene
One of the genes that predisposes a person to asthma.</P> A new gene family that plays a major role in asthma susceptibility has been identified.
This gene family located at chromosome 5q23-35 is called Tim or Tapr.
It controls the development of airway hyperreactivity (and the T cell production of interleukin 4 and 13).
TIM-1 is also the receptor of the hepatitis A virus.
This may explain the fact that hepatitis A virus infection decreases the chance asthma will develop.