Genetic Polymorphisms in the Histamine Receptor Family

Abstract

Histamine is a biogenic amine which has an inherent biological importance in many physiological functions, both in the central nervous system and in the periphery. With the new genomic era we are facing, personalized care and treatment is becoming one of the major focal points in research. This chapter focuses on the genetic variations and polymorphisms localized on genes encoding for human histamine receptors (HRHs) where it provides an up-to-date collection of polymorphisms found on genes encoding HRHs and their association to diseases. There is a clear need to highlight the specific implications polymorphisms have on this family of G-protein-coupled receptors. This book chapter collates recent and other important publications related to polymorphisms and genetic linkage of histamine receptors. New association studies have been published for the gene encoding the HRH4, linking SNPs to asthma, cancer, and atopic dermatitis. For example, rs17187619, rs527790, rs487202, rs1421125, and rs615283 have been associated with infection induced in asthma patients. Other SNPs found to harbor a link in breast cancer include rs623590, rs11662595, and rs1421125. With the increasing interest in cancer research, a polymorphism (rs2607474) discovered on the gene encoding for HRH2 was also found to have an association to gastric atrophy leading to gastric cancer. Looking into pharmacogenetics, a linkage was found between risperidone treatment and histamine receptor 3 (HRH3), where rs3787430 could be a potential biological marker for treatment. With these significant genetic variations recently discovered and their potential contribution to the common diseases, this chapter gathers the knowledge to date for SNPs identified on the human histamine receptors.