Publications
107 results found
Ratanachina J, Amaral A, De Matteis S, et al., 2021, Farming, pesticide exposure and respiratory health: a cross-sectional study in Thailand, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Vol: 79, ISSN: 1351-0711
Objective: To assess the association of lung function and respiratory symptoms with farming, particularly pesticide use, in an agricultural province in Thailand.Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional survey of adults aged 40–65 in Nan province, Thailand, between May and August 2019. We randomly recruited 345 villagers and enriched the sample with 82 government employees. All participants performed post-bronchodilator spirometry and completed a questionnaire covering information on respiratory symptoms, farming activities, pesticide use and known risk factors for respiratory disease. Associations of respiratory outcomes with farming and pesticide exposures were examined by multivariable regression analysis.Results: The response rate was 94%. The prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction among villagers was 5.5%. Villagers had, on average, a lower percent predicted post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) than government employees (98.3% vs 100.3%; p=0.04). There was no evidence of association of lung function with farming activities, the use of specific herbicides (glyphosate and paraquat), insecticides (organophosphates and pyrethroids) or fungicides. The exceptions were poultry farming, associated with chronic cough and an increase of FEV1/FVC, and atrazine, for which duration (p-trend <0.01), intensity (p-trend <0.01) and cumulative hours (p-trend=0.01) of use were all associated with higher FEV1/FVC in an exposure–response manner. Cumulative hours (−280 mL/hour), low duration (−270 mL/year) and intensity (−270 mL/hour/year) of atrazine use were associated with lower FVC.Conclusions: Chronic airflow obstruction is uncommon among villagers of an agricultural province in Nan, Thailand. Farming and pesticide use are unlikely to be major causes of respiratory problems there.
Burney P, Patel J, Minelli C, et al., 2021, Prevalence and population attributable risk for chronic airflow obstruction in a large multinational study, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol: 203, Pages: 1353-1365, ISSN: 1073-449X
Rationale: The Global Burden of Disease programme identified smoking, and ambient and household air pollution as the main drivers of death and disability from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Objective: To estimate the attributable risk of chronic airflow obstruction (CAO), a quantifiable characteristic of COPD, due to several risk factors. Methods: The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study is a cross-sectional study of adults, aged≥40, in a globally distributed sample of 41 urban and rural sites. Based on data from 28,459 participants, we estimated the prevalence of CAO, defined as a post-bronchodilator one-second forced expiratory volume to forced vital capacity ratio < lower limit of normal, and the relative risks associated with different risk factors. Local RR were estimated using a Bayesian hierarchical model borrowing information from across sites. From these RR and the prevalence of risk factors, we estimated local Population Attributable Risks (PAR). Measurements and Main Results: Mean prevalence of CAO was 11.2% in men and 8.6% in women. Mean PAR for smoking was 5.1% in men and 2.2% in women. The next most influential risk factors were poor education levels, working in a dusty job for ≥10 years, low body mass index (BMI), and a history of tuberculosis. The risk of CAO attributable to the different risk factors varied across sites. Conclusions: While smoking remains the most important risk factor for CAO, in some areas poor education, low BMI and passive smoking are of greater importance. Dusty occupations and tuberculosis are important risk factors at some sites.
Russell MA, Dharmage S, Fuertes E, et al., 2021, The effect of physical activity on asthma incidence over 10 years: population-based study, ERJ Open Research, Vol: 7, ISSN: 2312-0541
van Nunen E, Hoek G, Tsai M-Y, et al., 2021, Short-term personal and outdoor exposure to ultrafine and fine particulate air pollution in association with blood pressure and lung function in healthy adults, Environmental Research, Vol: 194, ISSN: 0013-9351
Studies reporting on associations between short-term exposure to outdoor fine (PM2.5), and ultrafine particles (UFP) and blood pressure and lung function have been inconsistent. Few studies have characterized exposure by personal monitoring, which especially for UFP may have resulted in substantial exposure measurement error. We investigated the association between 24-h average personal UFP, PM2.5, and soot exposure and dose and the health parameters blood pressure and lung function. We further assessed the short-term associations between outdoor concentrations measured at a central monitoring site and near the residences and these health outcomes.We performed three 24-h personal exposure measurements for UFP, PM2.5, and soot in 132 healthy adults from Basel (Switzerland), Amsterdam and Utrecht (the Netherlands), and Turin (Italy). Monitoring of each subject was conducted in different seasons in a one-year study period. Subject's activity levels and associated ventilation rates were measured using actigraphy to calculate the inhaled dose. After each 24-h monitoring session, blood pressure and lung function were measured. Contemporaneously with personal measurements, UFP, PM2.5 and soot were measured outdoor at the subject's residential address and at a central site in the research area. Associations between short-term personal and outdoor exposure and dose to UFP, PM2.5, and soot and health outcomes were tested using linear mixed effect models.The 24-h mean personal, residential and central site outdoor UFP exposures were not associated with blood pressure or lung function. UFP mean exposures in the 2-h prior to the health test was also not associated with blood pressure and lung function. Personal, central site and residential PM2.5 exposure were positively associated with systolic blood pressure (about 1.4 mmHg increase per Interquartile range). Personal soot exposure and dose were positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (1.2 and 0.9 mmHg increase per
Porta M, Pumarega J, Amaral A, et al., 2020, Influence of KRAS mutations, persistent organic pollutants, and trace elements on survival from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Environmental Research, Vol: 190, Pages: 1-13, ISSN: 0013-9351
IntroductionReasons why pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) continues to have poor survival are only partly known. No previous studies have analyzed the combined influence of KRAS mutations, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and trace elements upon survival in PDAC or in any other human cancer.ObjectiveTo analyze the individual and combined influence of KRAS mutations, POPs, and trace elements upon survival from PDAC.MethodsIncident cases of PDAC (n = 185) were prospectively identified in five hospitals in Eastern Spain in 1992-1995 and interviewed face-to-face during hospital admission. KRAS mutational status was determined from tumour tissue through polymerase chain reaction and artificial restriction fragment length polymorphism. Blood and toenail samples were obtained before treatment. Serum concentrations of POPs were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Concentrations of 12 trace elements were determined in toenail samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess prognostic associations.ResultsPatients with a KRAS mutated tumor had a 70% higher risk of early death than patients with a KRAS wild-type PDAC (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.7, p = 0.026), adjusting for age, sex, and tumor stage. KRAS mutational status was only modestly and not statistically significantly associated with survival when further adjusting by treatment or by treatment intention. The beneficial effects of treatment remained unaltered when KRAS mutational status was taken into account, and treatment did not appear to be less effective in the subgroup of patients with a KRAS mutated tumor. POPs did not materially influence survival: the adjusted HR of the highest POP tertiles was near unity for all POPs. When considering the joint effect on survival of POPs and KRAS, patients with KRAS mutated tumors had modest and nonsignificant HRs (most HRs around 1.3 to 1.4). Higher co
Burney P, Amaral AFS, 2020, Asthma exacerbations, air pollution, and allergens - Authors' reply., Lancet, Vol: 396, Pages: 753-754
Allwood B, van der Zalm M, Amaral A, et al., 2020, Post-tuberculosis lung health: perspectives from the firstInternational symposium, International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Vol: 24, Pages: 820-828, ISSN: 1027-3719
Tuberculosis, although curable, frequently leaves the individual with chronic physical and psycho-social impairment, yet these consequences have to-date been largely neglected. The 1st International Post-Tuberculosis Symposium was devoted entirely to impairment after tuberculosis, and covered a number of multi-disciplinary topics. Using the Delphi process, consensus was achieved for the terms “post-tuberculosis”, “post-tuberculosis lung disease/s (PTLD)”, and “post-tuberculosis economic, social and psychological well-being” (Post-TB ESP)”, to overcome the historical challenge of varied terminology in the literature. A minimum case-definition was proposed by consensus for PTLD in adults and children. Lack of sufficient evidence hampered definitive recommendations in most domains, including prevention and treatment of PTLD, but highlighted the dire need for research and priorities were identified. The heterogeneity of respiratory outcomes and previously employed research methodologies complicates the accurate estimation of disease burden. However, consensus was reached proposing a toolkit for future PTLD measurement, and on PTLD patterns to be considered. The importance of extra-pulmonary consequences and progressive impairment throughout the life-course was identified, including tuberculosis recurrence and increased mortality. Patient advocates emphasised the need for addressing the psychological and social impacts post tuberculosis, and called for clinical guidance. Increased awareness and more research addressing post-tuberculosis complications is urgently needed.
Amaral AFS, Imboden M, Wielscher M, et al., 2020, Role of DNA methylation in the association of lung function with body mass index: a two-step epigenetic Mendelian randomisation study, BMC PULMONARY MEDICINE, Vol: 20, ISSN: 1471-2466
- Author Web Link
- Open Access Link
- Cite
- Citations: 2
van Nunen E, Vermeulen R, Tsai M-Y, et al., 2020, Associations between modeled residential outdoor and measured personal exposure to ultrafine particles in four European study areas, ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT, Vol: 226, ISSN: 1352-2310
- Author Web Link
- Open Access Link
- Cite
- Citations: 6
Peralta GP, Marcon A, Carsin A-E, et al., 2020, Body mass index and weight change are associated with adult lung function trajectories: the prospective ECRHS study., Thorax, Vol: 75, Pages: 313-320
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported an association between weight increase and excess lung function decline in young adults followed for short periods. We aimed to estimate lung function trajectories during adulthood from 20-year weight change profiles using data from the population-based European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). METHODS: We included 3673 participants recruited at age 20-44 years with repeated measurements of weight and lung function (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)) in three study waves (1991-93, 1999-2003, 2010-14) until they were 39-67 years of age. We classified subjects into weight change profiles according to baseline body mass index (BMI) categories and weight change over 20 years. We estimated trajectories of lung function over time as a function of weight change profiles using population-averaged generalised estimating equations. RESULTS: In individuals with normal BMI, overweight and obesity at baseline, moderate (0.25-1 kg/year) and high weight gain (>1 kg/year) during follow-up were associated with accelerated FVC and FEV1 declines. Compared with participants with baseline normal BMI and stable weight (±0.25 kg/year), obese individuals with high weight gain during follow-up had -1011 mL (95% CI -1.259 to -763) lower estimated FVC at 65 years despite similar estimated FVC levels at 25 years. Obese individuals at baseline who lost weight (<-0.25 kg/year) exhibited an attenuation of FVC and FEV1 declines. We found no association between weight change profiles and FEV1/FVC decline. CONCLUSION: Moderate and high weight gain over 20 years was associated with accelerated lung function decline, while weight loss was related to its attenuation. Control of weight gain is important for maintaining good lung function in adult life.
Rezwan F, Imboden M, Amaral AFS, et al., 2020, Association of adult lung function with accelerated biological aging, AGING-US, Vol: 12, Pages: 518-542, ISSN: 1945-4589
- Author Web Link
- Open Access Link
- Cite
- Citations: 18
Jankowski M, Amaral A, 2020, ERS international congress, Madrid, 2019: Highlights from the Epidemiology and Environment Assembly, ERJ Open Research, Vol: 6, Pages: 1-4, ISSN: 2312-0541
At the European Respiratory Society's International Congress of 2019, which was held in Madrid, Spain, there were several sessions with exciting poster and oral presentations within the fields of epidemiology and tobacco control. This article is the summary of two of these sessions. One was on the use of Big Data in epidemiology and the other, on the global burden of respiratory disease and tobacco.
Burney P, Amaral AFS, 2019, Air pollution and chronic airway disease: is the evidence always clear?, LANCET, Vol: 394, Pages: 2198-2200, ISSN: 0140-6736
- Author Web Link
- Open Access Link
- Cite
- Citations: 22
Janson C, Malinovschi A, Amaral A, et al., 2019, Testing bronchodilator responsiveness, European Respiratory Journal, Vol: 54, ISSN: 0903-1936
Allwood B, van der Zalm M, Makanda G, et al., 2019, The long shadow post-tuberculosis, LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES, Vol: 19, Pages: 1170-1171, ISSN: 1473-3099
- Author Web Link
- Cite
- Citations: 27
Gomez-Tomas A, Pumarega J, Alguacil J, et al., 2019, Concentrations of trace elements and KRAS mutations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, Vol: 60, Pages: 693-703, ISSN: 0893-6692
Trace elements are a possible risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, their role in the occurrence and persistence of KRAS mutations remains unstudied. There appear to be no studies analyzing biomarkers of trace elements and KRAS mutations in any human cancer. We aimed to determine whether patients with KRAS mutated and nonmutated tumors exhibit differences in concentrations of trace elements. Incident cases of PDAC were prospectively identified in five hospitals in Spain. KRAS mutational status was determined through polymerase chain reaction from tumor tissue. Concentrations of 12 trace elements were determined in toenail samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Concentrations of trace elements were compared in 78 PDAC cases and 416 hospital-based controls (case–control analyses), and between 17 KRAS wild-type tumors and 61 KRAS mutated tumors (case–case analyses). Higher levels of iron, arsenic, and vanadium were associated with a statistically nonsignificant increased risk of a KRAS wild-type PDAC (OR for higher tertile of arsenic = 3.37, 95% CI 0.98–11.57). Lower levels of nickel and manganese were associated with a statistically significant higher risk of a KRAS mutated PDAC (OR for manganese = 0.34, 95% CI 0.14–0.80). Higher levels of selenium appeared protective for both mutated and KRAS wild-type PDAC. Higher levels of cadmium and lead were clear risk factors for both KRAS mutated and wild-type cases. This is the first study analyzing biomarkers of trace elements and KRAS mutations in any human cancer. Concentrations of trace elements differed markedly between PDAC cases with and without mutations in codon 12 of the KRAS oncogene, thus suggesting a role for trace elements in pancreatic and perhaps other cancers with such mutations. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 60:693–703, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
van der Plaat DA, Pereira M, Pesce G, et al., 2019, Age at menopause and lung function: a Mendelian randomisation study., Eur Respir J, Vol: 54
In observational studies, early menopause is associated with lower forced vital capacity (FVC) and a higher risk of spirometric restriction, but not airflow obstruction. It is, however, unclear if this association is causal. We therefore used a Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach, which is not affected by classical confounding, to assess the effect of age at natural menopause on lung function.We included 94 742 naturally post-menopausal women from the UK Biobank and performed MR analyses on the effect of age at menopause on forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FVC, FEV1/FVC, spirometric restriction (FVC<lower limit of normal (LLN)) and airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC<LLN). We used the inverse variance-weighted method, as well as methods that adjust for pleiotropy, and compared MR with observational analyses.The MR analyses showed higher FEV1/FVC and a 15% lower risk of airflow obstruction for women with early (<45 years) compared to normal (45-55 years) menopause. Despite some evidence of pleiotropy, the results were consistent when using MR methods robust to pleiotropy. Similar results were found among never- and ever-smokers, while the protective effect seemed less strong in women who had ever used menopause hormone treatment and in overweight women. There was no strong evidence of an association with FVC or spirometric restriction. In observational analyses of the same dataset, early menopause was associated with a pronounced reduction in FVC and a 13% higher risk of spirometric restriction.Our MR results suggest that early menopause has a protective effect on airflow obstruction. Further studies are warranted to better understand the inconsistency with observational findings, and to investigate the underlying mechanisms and role of female sex hormones.
Janson C, Malinovschi A, Amaral A, et al., 2019, Bronchodilator reversibility in asthma and COPD: Findings from three large population studies, European Respiratory Journal, Vol: 54, ISSN: 0903-1936
Bronchodilator response (BDR) testing is used as a diagnostic method in obstructive airway diseases. The aim of this investigation was to compare different methods for measuring BDR in participants with asthma and COPD and to study to the extent to which BDR was related to symptom burden and phenotypic characteristics.Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) was measured before and 15 min after 200 μg of salbutamol in 35 628 subjects aged 16 years and older from three large international population studies. The subjects were categorised in three groups: current asthma (n=2833), COPD (n=1146), and no airway disease (n=31 649). Three definitions for flow related (increase in FEV1) and three for volume related (increase in FVC) were used.The prevalence of bronchodilator reversibility expressed as increase FEV1≥12% and 200 mL was 17.3% and 18.4% in participants with asthma and COPD, respectively, while the corresponding prevalence was 5.1% in those with no airway disease. In asthma, bronchodilator reversibility was associated with wheeze (OR (95% CI): 1.36 (1.04–1.79)), atopy (OR 1.36 (1.04–1.79)) and higher FeNO while in COPD neither flow nor volume related bronchodilator reversibility was associated with symptom burden, exacerbations or health status after adjusting for prebronchodilator FEV1.Bronchodilator reversibility was at least as common in participants with COPD as those with asthma. This indicates that measures of reversibility are of limited value for distinguishing asthma from COPD in population studies. In asthma, however, bronchodilator reversibility may be a phenotypic marker.
Imboden M, Wielscher M, Rezwan FI, et al., 2019, Epigenome-wide association study of lung function level and its change, EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, Vol: 54, ISSN: 0903-1936
- Author Web Link
- Open Access Link
- Cite
- Citations: 38
Camargo J, Pumarega JA, Alguacil J, et al., 2019, Toenail concentrations of trace elements and occupational history in pancreatic cancer, Environment International, Vol: 127, Pages: 216-225, ISSN: 0160-4120
BACKGROUND: Some occupations potentially entailing exposure to cadmium, arsenic, lead, selenium, nickel, and chromium have been associated with an increased risk of exocrine pancreatic cancer (EPC), but no studies have assessed whether body concentrations of such compounds differed among subjects occupationally exposed and unexposed. No studies which found that exposure to such metals increased the risk of EPC assessed whether past occupations were the source of exposure. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to analyse the relationship between toenail concentrations of trace elements and occupational history in EPC patients. METHODS: The study included 114 EPC cases personally interviewed on occupational history and lifestyle factors. Occupations were coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988. Selected occupational exposures were assessed by two industrial hygienists and with the Finnish job-exposure matrix (Finjem). Concentrations of 12 trace elements were determined in toenail samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Adjusted geometric means (aGMs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Patients occupationally exposed to aromatic hydrocarbon solvents (AHs) had higher concentrations of cadmium, manganese, lead, iron and vanadium. The aGM of cadmium concentrations for cases exposed to any pesticide was 0.056 μg/g [95% CI: 0.029-0.108], and, for unexposed cases, 0.023 μg/g [0.017-0.031]. Patients occupationally exposed to pesticides had higher concentrations of cadmium and manganese. Higher concentrations of vanadium, lead and arsenic were related to exposure to formaldehyde. Vanadium and lead were also associated with exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents, and arsenic was related to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). CONCLUSIONS: Patients occupationally exposed to AHs, pesticides, chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents, formaldehyde, volatile sulphur compounds and PAHs had hig
Jeong A, Imboden M, Ghantous A, et al., 2019, DNA methylation in inflammatory pathways modifies the association between BMI and adult-onset non-atopic asthma, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol: 16, ISSN: 1660-4601
A high body mass (BMI) index has repeatedly been associated with non-atopic asthma, but the biological mechanism linking obesity to asthma is still poorly understood. We aimed to test the hypothesis that inflammation and/or innate immunity plays a role in the obesity-asthma link. DNA methylome was measured in blood samples of 61 non-atopic participants with asthma and 146 non-atopic participants without asthma (non-smokers for at least 10 years) taking part in the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA) study. Modification by DNA methylation of the association of BMI or BMI change over 10 years with adult-onset asthma was examined at each CpG site and differentially methylated region. Pathway enrichment tests were conducted for genes in a priori curated inflammatory pathways and the NLRP3-IL1B-IL17 axis. The latter was chosen on the basis of previous work in mice. Inflammatory pathways including glucocorticoid/PPAR signaling (p = 0.0023), MAPK signaling (p = 0.013), NF-κB signaling (p = 0.031), and PI3K/AKT signaling (p = 0.031) were enriched for the effect modification of BMI, while NLRP3-IL1B-IL17 axis was enriched for the effect modification of BMI change over 10 years (p = 0.046). DNA methylation measured in peripheral blood is consistent with inflammation as a link between BMI and adult-onset asthma and with the NLRP3-IL1B-IL17 axis as a link between BMI change over 10 years and adult-onset asthma in non-atopic participants.
de Vries M, Axson E, Ratanachina J, et al., 2019, European Respiratory Society International Congress 2018: Four shades of epidemiology and tobacco control, ERJ Open Research, Vol: 5, ISSN: 2312-0541
In this article, early career members and experienced members of the Epidemiology and Environment Assembly of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) highlight and summarise a selection of six sessions from the society’s annual congress, which in 2018 was held in Paris. The topics covered in these sessions span from cutting-edge molecular epidemiology of lung function to environmental, occupational and clinical epidemiology of respiratory disease and from emergent tobacco products to tobacco control.
Amaral AFS, Quint J, 2018, Cottage by the sea or house above the trees: Which is better for my lungs?, Thorax, Vol: 73, Pages: 1103-1104, ISSN: 1468-3296
Mostafavi N, Vermeulen R, Ghantous A, et al., 2018, Acute changes in DNA methylation in relation to 24 h personal air pollution exposure measurements: a panel study in four European countries, Environment International, Vol: 120, Pages: 11-21, ISSN: 0160-4120
BackgroundOne of the potential mechanisms linking air pollution to health effects is through changes in DNA-methylation, which so far has mainly been analyzed globally or at candidate sites.ObjectiveWe investigated the association of personal and ambient air pollution exposure measures with genome-wide DNA-methylation changes.MethodsWe collected repeated 24-hour personal and ambient exposure measurements of particulate matter (PM2.5), PM2.5 absorbance, and ultrafine particles (UFP) and peripheral blood samples from a panel of 157 healthy non-smoking adults living in four European countries. We applied univariate mixed-effects models to investigate the association between air pollution and genome-wide DNA-methylation perturbations at single CpG (cytosine-guanine dinucleotide) sites and in Differentially Methylated Regions (DMRs). Subsequently, we explored the association of air pollution-induced methylation alterations with gene expression and serum immune marker levels measured in the same subjects.ResultsPersonal exposure to PM2.5 was associated with methylation changes at 13 CpG sites and 69 DMRs. Two of the 13 identified CpG sites (mapped to genes KNDC1 and FAM50B) were located within these DMRs. In addition, 42 DMRs were associated with personal PM2.5 absorbance exposure, 16 DMRs with personal exposure to UFP, 4 DMRs with ambient exposure to PM2.5, 16 DMRs with ambient PM2.5 absorbance exposure, and 15 DMRs with ambient UFP exposure. Correlation between methylation levels at identified CpG sites and gene expression and immune markers was generally moderate.ConclusionThis study provides evidence for an association between 24-hour exposure to air pollution and DNA-methylation at single sites and regional clusters of CpGs. Analysis of differentially methylated regions provides a promising avenue to further explore the subtle impact of environmental exposures on DNA-methylation.
Amaral AFS, 2018, Highlights from the European Respiratory Society 2018 Annual Congress: environment and epidemiology (assembly 6), Journal of thoracic disease, ISSN: 2077-6624
Beckmeyer-Borowko A, Imboden M, Rezwan FI, et al., 2018, SERPINA1 methylation and lung function in tobacco-smoke exposed European children and adults: a meta-analysis of ALEC population-based cohorts., Respir Res, Vol: 19
BACKGROUND: The pathophysiological role of SERPINA1 in respiratory health may be more strongly determined by the regulation of its expression than by common genetic variants. A family based study of predominantly smoking adults found methylation at two Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine sites (CpGs) in SERPINA1 gene to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk. The objective of this study was to confirm the association of lung function with SERPINA1 methylation in general population samples by testing a comprehensive set of CpGs in the SERPINA gene cluster. We considered lung function level and decline in adult smokers from three European population-based cohorts and lung function level and growth in tobacco-smoke exposed children from a birth cohort. METHODS: DNA methylation using Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450 k and EPIC beadchips and lung function were measured at two time points in 1076 SAPALDIA, ECRHS and NFBC adult cohort participants and 259 ALSPAC children. Associations of methylation at 119 CpG sites in the SERPINA gene cluster (PP4R4-SERPINA13P) with lung functions and circulating alpha-1-antitripsin (AAT) were assessed using multivariable cross-sectional and longitudinal regression models. RESULTS: Methylation at cg08257009 in the SERPINA gene cluster, located 32 kb downstream of SERPINA1, not annotated to a gene, was associated with FEV1/FVC at the Bonferroni corrected level in adults, but not in children. None of the methylation signals in the SERPINA1 gene showed associations with lung function after correcting for multiple testing. CONCLUSIONS: The results do not support a role of SERPINA1 gene methylation as determinant of lung function across the life course in the tobacco smoke exposed general population exposed.
Waage J, Standl M, Curtin JA, et al., 2018, Author correction: Genome-wide association and HLA fine-mapping studies identify risk loci and genetic pathways underlying allergic rhinitis, Nature Genetics, ISSN: 1061-4036
In the version of this article initially published, in Fig. 3, the y-axis numbering did not match the log scale indicated in the axis label. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF version of the article.
Waage J, Standl M, Curtin JA, et al., 2018, Genome-wide association and HLA fine-mapping studies identify risk loci and genetic pathways underlying allergic rhinitis, Nature Genetics, Vol: 50, Pages: 1072-1080, ISSN: 1061-4036
Allergic rhinitis is the most common clinical presentation of allergy, affecting 400 million people worldwide, and with increasing incidence in westernized countries.1,2 To elucidate the genetic architecture and understand disease mechanisms of allergic rhinitis, we carried out a meta-analysis of allergic rhinitis in 59,762 cases and 152,358 controls of European ancestry and identified a total of 41 risk loci for allergic rhinitis, including 20 loci not previously associated with allergic rhinitis, which were confirmed in a replication phase of 60,720 cases and 618,527 controls. Functional annotation implied genes involved in various immune pathways, and fine mapping of the HLA region suggested amino acid variants of importance for antigen binding. We further performed GWASs of allergic sensitization against inhalant allergens and non-allergic rhinitis suggesting shared genetic mechanisms across rhinitis-related traits. Future studies of the identified loci and genes might identify novel targets for treatment and prevention of allergic rhinitis.
Minelli C, van der Plaat DA, Leynaert B, et al., 2018, Age at puberty and risk of asthma: A Mendelian randomisation study., PLoS Med, Vol: 15
BACKGROUND: Observational studies on pubertal timing and asthma, mainly performed in females, have provided conflicting results about a possible association of early puberty with higher risk of adult asthma, possibly due to residual confounding. To overcome issues of confounding, we used Mendelian randomisation (MR), i.e., genetic variants were used as instrumental variables to estimate causal effects of early puberty on post-pubertal asthma in both females and males. METHODS AND FINDINGS: MR analyses were performed in UK Biobank on 243,316 women using 254 genetic variants for age at menarche, and on 192,067 men using 46 variants for age at voice breaking. Age at menarche, recorded in years, was categorised as early (<12), normal (12-14), or late (>14); age at voice breaking was recorded and analysed as early (younger than average), normal (about average age), or late (older than average). In females, we found evidence for a causal effect of pubertal timing on asthma, with an 8% increase in asthma risk for early menarche (odds ratio [OR] 1.08; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.12; p = 8.7 × 10(-5)) and an 8% decrease for late menarche (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.89 to 0.97; p = 3.4 × 10(-4)), suggesting a continuous protective effect of increasing age at puberty. In males, we found very similar estimates of causal effects, although with wider confidence intervals (early voice breaking: OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.16; p = 0.06; late voice breaking: OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.87 to 0.99; p = 0.03). We detected only modest pleiotropy, and our findings showed robustness when different methods to account for pleiotropy were applied. BMI may either introduce pleiotropy or lie on the causal pathway; secondary analyses excluding variants associated with BMI yielded similar results to those of the main analyses. Our study relies on self-reported exposures and outcomes, which may have particularly affected the power of the analyses on age at voice breaking. CONCLUSIONS: This large MR study prov
Kahn NC, Bartel S, Amaral AFS, et al., 2018, New kids on the block in the ECMC and opportunities for early career members in 2018, BREATHE, Vol: 14, Pages: 55-57, ISSN: 1810-6838
- Author Web Link
- Open Access Link
- Cite
- Citations: 1
This data is extracted from the Web of Science and reproduced under a licence from Thomson Reuters. You may not copy or re-distribute this data in whole or in part without the written consent of the Science business of Thomson Reuters.