T cells can influence not only sensitivity to apoptotic signals, but lineage decisions as well (58,59). These functional annotations also potentially fit well with a role for these genes in asthma pathogenesis, as the classical paradigm for asthma involves a dysregulated T cell response in the airways (60–62). On the one hand, variation influencing the quantity of T cell receptor adaptor and co-receptor proteins in lymphocytes could potentially affect basal levels of lymphocytes as well as their propensity to become activated. On the other hand, a vigorous proliferative response requires energy, and lineage decisions and apoptosis signaling influenced by variation in metabolism could potentially have phenotypic consequences.
