Text Box: ASSOCIATION OF BETA2 - ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS GENE POLYMORPHISMS WITH ASTHMA IN THE CHILDREN OF SOUTHERN CHINA Liao W, Li W-M, Zhao C-M, Guang L-X，Xi-M Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China Objective: To investigate the association betweenβ2-adrenergic receptors (β2-AR) gene polymorphisms and asthmatic severity. Methods: The genotypes of loci 16 and 27 of the b2-AR were detected by using PCR and restriction fragment analysis in 50 asthmatic children, 100 healthy controls from the Han nationality of southern China. Meanwhile, the asthmatic children were classified as intermittent 、mild、moderate、and severe subgroups according to their clinical characters. Results: There were no significant increases in the frequency of glycine (Gly)16/Gly and Glutamic acid (Glu) 27/Glu genotypes in the asthmatic children compared with healthy controls (0.19 vs 0.22,0.12 vs 0.18 respectively, P>0.05). But there were significant increases in the frequency of Gly16/Gly genogype in the severe asthma subgroup compared with the mild (0.67 vs 0.07, p<0.05), moderate subgroups (0.67 vs 0.12, p<0.05). Conclusions: The β2-AR gene polymorphisms were not determinant of pathogenesis of asthma, but the b2-AR 16 locus polymorphisms is possibly correlated with asthmatic severity in the children of the Han nationality of southern China. 1024