TY - JOUR

T1 - A quantitative genetic analysis of intermediate asthma phenotypes

AU - Thomsen, S.F.

AU - Ferreira, M.A.R.

AU - Kyvik, K.O.

AU - Fenger, M.

AU - Backer, V.

AU - Thomsen, S F

AU - Ferreira, M A R

AU - Kyvik, K O

AU - Fenger, M

AU - Backer, V

N1 - Times Cited: 0ArticleEnglishThomsen, S. FBispebjerg Hosp, Dept Resp Med, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, DenmarkCited References Count: 15411ULWILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INCCOMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USAMALDEN

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

U2 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01850.x

DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01850.x

M3 - Journal article

VL - 64

SP - 427

EP - 430

JO - Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

JF - Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

SN - 0105-4538

IS - 3

ER -