Pooling Of Birth Cohorts Provides Insights Into The Role Of Genes And The Environment In Asthma

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Genetics
Article Date: 29 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Atopy and asthma are diseases that are known to be caused by environmental factors and many genes. Since multiple genes and many environmental factors contribute to disease development, one needs large groups of asthma patients and unaffected controls in order to identify which genes and environmental factors are important.

Dirkje S. Postma (University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands) and his colleagues pooled data from three large Dutch birth cohorts (PIAMA, PREVASC and KOALA).

This first prospective cohort study shows highly significant and consistent associations at ages 1, 2, 4 and 8 years between allergy and the interleukin (IL)13 gene; IL13 is a protein critical in allergy development.

Also, gene-environmental interactions were found in the pooled analyses: polymorphisms in CD14 genes were associated with a lower risk for atopy at age 4 and 8 years in children who were exposed to pets, with an opposite effect in non-exposed children.

The successful identification of gene - environment interactions when pooling data from three well-characterised Dutch birth cohorts justifies a positive attitude towards future studies that use pooled data from cohort studies.

These studies may improve insights into atopy and asthma pathogenesis and open new avenues for preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Title Of The Original Article
Interleukin 13, CD14, pet and tobacco smoke influence atopy in three Dutch cohorts: the allergenic study

The European Respiratory Journal is the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the European Respiratory Society (more than 8,000 specialists in lung diseases and respiratory medicine in Europe, the United States and Australia).

European Respiratory Journal

The European Respiratory Society (ERS)