RationaleEarly
childhood represents a critical window for asthma susceptibility,
marked by developmental and molecular changes, yet their longitudinal
pattern remains unclear.ObjectivesTo
identify differences in longitudinal whole-blood gene expression during
early childhood in future asthmatics compared to healthy children.MethodsWe
conducted a longitudinal whole-blood transcriptomic analysis at four
timepoints (1, 4.5, 6, 10.5 years) in a sample of the birth cohort
PASTURE (n = 378), comparing children who developed asthma between 6 and
10.5 years with non-asthmatic controls (83/295). Analyses included
longitudinal differential gene expression, weighted gene co-expression
network analysis, and cis-eQTL analysis.Measurements and main resultsAt
age 1, 42 genes, mostly upregulated in future asthmatics, were
associated with neutrophilic inflammation and NLRP3
inflammasome-markers. By 4.5 years, this shifted to a novel
eosinophil-related signature (40 genes), remaining increased in
asthmatics until 10.5 years. Co-expression analysis confirmed a
neutrophilic module at 1 year and eosinophilic modules at 4.5, 6 and
10.5 years, all associated with asthma. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide
was associated with the eosinophilic module at age 6 (P = .003).
86 SNPs were identified modulating the expression of 10
eosinophil-associated genes and GSDMB from this eosinophilic signature. A
variant-based genetic risk score was associated with asthma diagnosis
(aOR[95% CI]= 1.47[1.13-1.93]).ConclusionWe
identified a shift from a neutrophil-driven gene signature at age 1 to a
persistent eosinophilic signature at 4.5 to 10.5 years in asthmatic
children, highlighting the 1 to 4.5-year period as most vulnerable
period. Genetic variants strongly influenced the persistent eosinophilic
gene signature, comprising potential novel therapeutic targets.
VerlagsortGreat Clarendon St, Oxford Ox2 6dp, England
Hochschule
Hochschulort
Fakultät
Veröffentlichungsdatum0000-00-00
Veröffentlichungsnummer
Anmeldedatum0000-00-00
Anmelder/Inhaber
weitere Inhaber
Anmeldeland
Priorität
BegutachtungsstatusPeer reviewed
Institut(e)Institute of Asthma and Allergy Prevention (IAP) Environmental Health Center (EHC)
FörderungenResearch Committee of the Kuopio University Hospital Catchment Area for the State Research Funding Khne Foundation-Research Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare DFG German Center for Child and Adolescent Health Bundesministerium fr Bildung und Forschung Pivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation German Center of Lung Research Juho Vainio Foundation Federal Ministry of Education and Research Foundation for Pediatric Research Yrj Jahnsson Foundation Farmers' Social Insurance Institution of Finland Academy of Finland BMBF Finnish Cultural Foundation