Document Detail


Environmental epigenetics of asthma: an update.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20816181     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Asthma, a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway, is influenced by interplay between genetic and environmental factors now known to be mediated by epigenetics. Aberrant DNA methylation, altered histone modifications, specific microRNA expression, and other chromatin alterations orchestrate a complex early-life reprogramming of immune T-cell response, dendritic cell function, macrophage activation, and a breach of airway epithelial barrier that dictates asthma risk and severity in later life. Adult-onset asthma is under analogous regulation. The sharp increase in asthma prevalence over the past 2 or 3 decades and the large variations among populations of similar racial/ethnic background but different environmental exposures favors a strong contribution of environmental factors. This review addresses the fundamental question of whether environmental influences on asthma risk, severity, and steroid resistance are partly due to differential epigenetic modulations. Current knowledge on the epigenetic effects of tobacco smoke, microbial allergens, oxidants, airborne particulate matter, diesel exhaust particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dietary methyl donors and other nutritional factors, and dust mites is discussed. Exciting findings have been generated by rapid technological advances and well-designed experimental and population studies. The discovery and validation of epigenetic biomarkers linked to exposure, asthma, or both might lead to better epigenotyping of risk, prognosis, treatment prediction, and development of novel therapies.
Authors:
Shuk-Mei Ho
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology     Volume:  126     ISSN:  1097-6825     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.     Publication Date:  2010 Sep 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-09-06     Completed Date:  2010-09-28     Revised Date:  2010-12-03    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  1275002     Medline TA:  J Allergy Clin Immunol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  453-65     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Copyright Information:
Copyright (c) 2010 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Health, Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. shuk-mei.ho@uc.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Animals
Asthma / etiology*,  genetics*,  immunology
Environmental Exposure*
Epigenesis, Genetic*
Humans
Risk Factors
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
P30 ES006096-18/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS; P30ES006096/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS; P50ES015905/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS; R01ES015584/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS; RC2ES018758/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS; RC2ES018789/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS

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