Polymorphisms in the RNASE3 gene and association to production and disease Table 3 summarizes data from the NCBI entrez nucleotide site regarding polymorphisms detected in the ECP gene. Two polymorphisms are found in the protein coding region, two in intronic regions and two in the 3' untranslated region (UTR). ECP polymorphisms are differentially distributed according to ethnicity [141] . Two studies have evaluated polymorphisms in intronic and UTR regions of the ECP gene, and linked them with ECP production. One polymorphism rs11575981 (-393T > C) located in the promoter, in an C/EBP binding site was associated with decreased ECP level in serum, and decreased binding of C/EBP alpha [142] . Another polymorphism, in the 3'UTR, rs2233860 (499G > C or 562G > C) was associated with content of ECP in the eosinophils [143] . Three studies have analysed whether any polymorphisms are linked to allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis. The presence of the C allele in the nonsynonymous rs2073342G/C (371G > C/434G > C) polymorphism in the ECP gene, causing a.a. alteration Y97T, was found to be associated with absence of asthma in one Swedish study [40] . A study of Norwegian and Dutch subjects instead found that the haplotype C-G-G for the three polymorphisms rs2233859/rs17792481 (-38C/A), rs2073342 (371G/C/434G/C) and rs2233860 (499G/C/ 562G/C) being protective [144] . In a third, Korean study, which was the largest, the genotype rs2233860CC (499/562CC) was associated with allergic rhinitis [145] . Eosinophils occasionally infiltrate oral squamous cell carcinoma tumours. A study found a tendency for association of the rs2073342G/C C/C (371/434GC/CC) genotypes with a poor clinical outcome in patients with eosinophil rich such tumours [146] . As discussed earlier, eosinophils are present during helminth infections. The rs8019343 polymorphism T (1088TT) in the 3'UTR was exclusively present in the genome of a patient with tropical pulmonary eosinophilia [147] . Furthermore a study has found the rs2073342 with C (371/434C) polymorphism overrepresented in helminth infected Ugandans rs2233858