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A quantitative genetic analysis of intermediate asthma phenotypes
Author(s) -
Thomsen S. F.,
Ferreira M. A. R.,
Kyvik K. O.,
Fenger M.,
Backer V.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01850.x
Subject(s) - asthma , exhaled nitric oxide , medicine , twin study , airway , immunoglobulin e , genetic correlation , immunology , airway obstruction , correlation , genetic variation , heritability , biology , antibody , genetics , spirometry , surgery , environmental health , population , geometry , mathematics
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 (ρ A ) = 0.37, whereas the strongest environmental resemblance was observed between airway responsiveness and airway obstruction, specific environmental correlation (ρ E ) = −0.46, and between FeNO and airway responsiveness, ρ E = 0.34. Conclusions: Asthma is a complex disease characterized by a set of etiologically heterogeneous biomarkers, which likely constitute diverse targets of intervention.