Asthma susceptibility gene: One of the genes that predisposes a person to asthma.

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.