AIM: To study the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the correlation between exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), airway responsiveness, airway obstruction, and serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE). METHODS: Within a sampling frame of 21,162 twin subjects, 20-49 years of age, from the Danish Twin Registry, a total of 575 subjects (256 intact pairs and 63 single twins) who either themselves and/or their co-twins reported a history of asthma at a nationwide questionnaire survey, were clinically examined. Traits were measured using standard techniques. Latent factor models were fitted to the observed data using maximum likelihood methods. RESULTS: Additive genetic factors explained 67% of the variation in FeNO, 43% in airway responsiveness, 22% in airway obstruction, and 81% in serum total IgE. In general, traits had genetically and environmentally distinct variance structures. The most substantial genetic similarity was observed between FeNO and serum total IgE, genetic correlation (rhoA) = 0.37, whereas the strongest environmental resemblance was observed between airway responsiveness and airway obstruction, specific environmental correlation (rhoE) = -0.46, and between FeNO and airway responsiveness, rhoE = 0.34. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma is a complex disease characterized by a set of etiologically heterogeneous biomarkers, which likely constitute diverse targets of intervention.
AIM: To study the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the correlation between exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), airway responsiveness, airway obstruction, and serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE). METHODS: Within a sampling frame of 21,162 twin subjects, 20-49 years of age, from the Danish Twin Registry, a total of 575 subjects (256 intact pairs and 63 single twins) who either themselves and/or their co-twins reported a history of asthma at a nationwide questionnaire survey, were clinically examined. Traits were measured using standard techniques. Latent factor models were fitted to the observed data using maximum likelihood methods. RESULTS: Additive genetic factors explained 67% of the variation in FeNO, 43% in airway responsiveness, 22% in airway obstruction, and 81% in serum total IgE. In general, traits had genetically and environmentally distinct variance structures. The most substantial genetic similarity was observed between FeNO and serum total IgE, genetic correlation (rhoA) = 0.37, whereas the strongest environmental resemblance was observed between airway responsiveness and airway obstruction, specific environmental correlation (rhoE) = -0.46, and between FeNO and airway responsiveness, rhoE = 0.34. CONCLUSIONS:Asthma is a complex disease characterized by a set of etiologically heterogeneous biomarkers, which likely constitute diverse targets of intervention.
Authors: E Bouzigon; R Nadif; E E Thompson; M P Concas; S Kuldanek; G Du; M Brossard; N Lavielle; C Sarnowski; A Vaysse; P Dessen; R J P van der Valk; L Duijts; A J Henderson; V W V Jaddoe; J C de Jongste; S Casula; G Biino; M-H Dizier; I Pin; R Matran; M Lathrop; M Pirastu; F Demenais; C Ober Journal: Clin Exp Allergy Date: 2015-04 Impact factor: 5.018
Authors: Ben D Spycher; John Henderson; Raquel Granell; David M Evans; George Davey Smith; Nicholas J Timpson; Jonathan A C Sterne Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2012-08 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Jakob W Hansen; Simon F Thomsen; Celeste Porsbjerg; Linda M Rasmussen; Lotte Harmsen; Julia S Johansen; Vibeke Backer Journal: Eur Clin Respir J Date: 2015-09-16