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Xu Z, Forno E, Sun Y, Manni ML, Han YY, Kim S, Yue M, Vonk JM, Kersten ETM, Acosta-Perez E, Canino G, Koppelman GH, Chen W, Celedón JC. Nasal epithelial gene expression and total IgE in children and adolescents with asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:122-131. [PMID: 37742934 PMCID: PMC10842443 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about nasal epithelial gene expression and total IgE in youth. OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify genes whose nasal epithelial expression differs by total IgE in youth, and group them into modules that could be mapped to airway epithelial cell types. METHODS We conducted a transcriptome-wide association study of total IgE in 469 Puerto Ricans aged 9 to 20 years who participated in the Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans study, separately in all subjects and in those with asthma. We then attempted to replicate top findings for each analysis using data from 3 cohorts. Genes with a Benjamini-Hochberg-adjusted P value of less than .05 in the Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans study and a P value of less than .05 in the same direction of association in 1 or more replication cohort were considered differentially expressed genes (DEGs). DEGs for total IgE in subjects with asthma were further dissected into gene modules using coexpression analysis, and such modules were mapped to specific cell types in airway epithelia using public single-cell RNA-sequencing data. RESULTS A higher number of DEGs for total IgE were identified in subjects with asthma (n = 1179 DEGs) than in all subjects (n = 631 DEGs). In subjects with asthma, DEGs were mapped to 11 gene modules. The top module for positive correlation with total IgE was mapped to myoepithelial and mucus secretory cells in lower airway epithelia and was regulated by IL-4, IL5, IL-13, and IL-33. Within this module, hub genes included CDH26, FETUB, NTRK2, CCBL1, CST1, and CST2. Furthermore, an enrichment analysis showed overrepresentation of genes in signaling pathways for synaptogenesis, IL-13, and ferroptosis, supporting interactions between interleukin- and acetylcholine-induced responses. CONCLUSIONS Our findings for nasal epithelial gene expression support neuroimmune coregulation of total IgE in youth with asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongli Xu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa; School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Yidan Sun
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle L Manni
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Yueh Ying Han
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Molin Yue
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Judith M Vonk
- GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Elin T M Kersten
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Edna Acosta-Perez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute of Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute of Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Department of Pediatrics, Medical Science Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Gerard H Koppelman
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pa.
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Kim S, Qin Y, Park HJ, Yue M, Xu Z, Forno E, Chen W, Celedón JC. Methyl-TWAS: A powerful method for in silico transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) using long-range DNA methylation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.10.566586. [PMID: 38014125 PMCID: PMC10680683 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.10.566586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
In silico transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) are commonly used to test whether expression of specific genes is linked to a complex trait. However, genotype-based in silico TWAS such as PrediXcan, exhibit low prediction accuracy for a majority of genes because genotypic data lack tissue- and disease-specificity and are not affected by the environment. Because methylation is tissue-specific and, like gene expression, can be modified by environment or disease status, methylation should predict gene expression with more accuracy than SNPs. Therefore, we propose Methyl-TWAS, the first approach that utilizes long-range methylation markers to impute gene expression for in silico TWAS through penalized regression. Methyl-TWAS 1) predicts epigenetically regulated/associated expression (eGReX), which incorporates tissue-specific expression and both genetically- (GReX) and environmentally-regulated expression to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that could not be identified by genotype-based methods; and 2) incorporates both cis- and trans- CpGs, including various regulatory regions to identify DEGs that would be missed using cis- methylation only. Methyl-TWAS outperforms PrediXcan and two other methods in imputing gene expression in the nasal epithelium, particularly for immunity-related genes and DEGs in atopic asthma. Methyl-TWAS identified 3,681 (85.2%) of the 4,316 DEGs identified in a previous TWAS of atopic asthma using measured expression, while PrediXcan could not identify any gene. Methyl-TWAS also outperforms PrediXcan for expression imputation as well as in silico TWAS in white blood cells. Methyl-TWAS is a valuable tool for in silico TWAS, leveraging a growing body of publicly available genome-wide DNA methylation data for a variety of human tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yidi Qin
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hyun Jung Park
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Molin Yue
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Zhongli Xu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Juan C. Celedón
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Kim S, Xu Z, Forno E, Qin Y, Park HJ, Yue M, Yan Q, Manni ML, Acosta-Pérez E, Canino G, Chen W, Celedón JC. Cis- and trans-eQTM analysis reveals novel epigenetic and transcriptomic immune markers of atopic asthma in airway epithelium. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 152:887-898. [PMID: 37271320 PMCID: PMC10592527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression quantitative trait methylation (eQTM) analyses uncover associations between DNA methylation markers and gene expression. Most eQTM analyses of complex diseases have focused on cis-eQTM pairs (within 1 megabase). OBJECTIVES This study sought to identify cis- and trans-methylation markers associated with gene expression in airway epithelium from youth with and without atopic asthma. METHODS In this study, the investigators conducted both cis- and trans-eQTM analyses in nasal (airway) epithelial samples from 158 Puerto Rican youth with atopic asthma and 100 control subjects without atopy or asthma. The investigators then attempted to replicate their findings in nasal epithelial samples from 2 studies of children, while also examining whether their results in nasal epithelium overlap with those from an eQTM analysis in white blood cells from the Puerto Rican subjects. RESULTS This study identified 9,108 cis-eQTM pairs and 2,131,500 trans-eQTM pairs. Trans-associations were significantly enriched for transcription factor and microRNA target genes. Furthermore, significant cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites (CpGs) were differentially methylated in atopic asthma and significant genes were enriched for genes differentially expressed in atopic asthma. In this study, 50.7% to 62.6% of cis- and trans-eQTM pairs identified in Puerto Rican youth were replicated in 2 smaller cohorts at false discovery rate-adjusted P < .1. Replicated genes in the trans-eQTM analysis included biologically plausible asthma-susceptibility genes (eg, HDC, NLRP3, ITGAE, CDH26, and CST1) and are enriched in immune pathways. CONCLUSIONS Studying both cis- and trans-epigenetic regulation of airway epithelial gene expression can identify potential causal and regulatory pathways or networks for childhood asthma. Trans-eQTM CpGs may regulate gene expression in airway epithelium through effects on transcription factor and microRNA target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Zhongli Xu
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Yidi Qin
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Hyun Jung Park
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Molin Yue
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa
| | - Qi Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Michelle L Manni
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Edna Acosta-Pérez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
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Zhang L, Chun Y, Irizar H, Arditi Z, Grishina G, Grishin A, Vicencio A, Bunyavanich S. Integrated study of systemic and local airway transcriptomes in asthma reveals causal mediation of systemic effects by airway key drivers. Genome Med 2023; 15:71. [PMID: 37730635 PMCID: PMC10512627 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01222-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systemic and local profiles have each been associated with asthma, but parsing causal relationships between system-wide and airway-specific processes can be challenging. We sought to investigate systemic and airway processes in asthma and their causal relationships. METHODS Three hundred forty-one participants with persistent asthma and non-asthmatic controls were recruited and underwent peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) collection and nasal brushing. Transcriptome-wide RNA sequencing of the PBMC and nasal samples and a series of analyses were then performed using a discovery and independent test set approach at each step to ensure rigor. Analytic steps included differential expression analyses, coexpression and probabilistic causal (Bayesian) network constructions, key driver analyses, and causal mediation models. RESULTS Among the 341 participants, the median age was 13 years (IQR = 10-16), 164 (48%) were female, and 200 (58.7%) had persistent asthma with mean Asthma Control Test (ACT) score 16.6 (SD = 4.2). PBMC genes associated with asthma were enriched in co-expression modules for NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity (fold enrichment = 4.5, FDR = 6.47 × 10-32) and interleukin production (fold enrichment = 2.0, FDR = 1.01 × 10-15). Probabilistic causal network and key driver analyses identified NK cell granule protein (NKG7, fold change = 22.7, FDR = 1.02 × 10-31) and perforin (PRF1, fold change = 14.9, FDR = 1.31 × 10-22) as key drivers predicted to causally regulate PBMC asthma modules. Nasal genes associated with asthma were enriched in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle module (fold enrichment = 7.5 FDR = 5.09 × 10-107), with network analyses identifying G3BP stress granule assembly factor 1 (G3BP1, fold change = 9.1 FDR = 2.77 × 10-5) and InaD-like protein (INADL, fold change = 5.3 FDR = 2.98 × 10-9) as nasal key drivers. Causal mediation analyses revealed that associations between PBMC key drivers and asthma are causally mediated by nasal key drivers (FDR = 0.0076 to 0.015). CONCLUSIONS Integrated study of the systemic and airway transcriptomes in a well-phenotyped asthma cohort identified causal key drivers of asthma among PBMC and nasal transcripts. Associations between PBMC key drivers and asthma are causally mediated by nasal key drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingdi Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Yoojin Chun
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Haritz Irizar
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Zoe Arditi
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Galina Grishina
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Alexander Grishin
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Alfin Vicencio
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Supinda Bunyavanich
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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Yu T, Yu Y, Ma Y, Chen G. FoxO4 mediates macrophage M2 polarization by promoting LXA4R expression in an ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma model in mice. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 2023; 51:19-30. [PMID: 37422776 DOI: 10.15586/aei.v51i4.847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthma imposes a heavy burden due to its high prevalence. Forkhead box O4 (FoxO4) proteins participate in the modulation of cell progression. However, the role and mechanism of FoxO4 in asthma remains uncharted. METHODS An allergic asthma model was constructed by the induction of ovalbumin and interleukin (IL)-4 in mice and monocyte/macrophage-like Raw264.7 cells, respectively. The role and mechanism of FoxO4 in asthma was determined by pathological staining, immunofluorescence assay, measurement of inflammatory cells in the blood, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot analysis, and flow cytometry. RESULTS Ovalbumin treatment triggered an obvious inflammatory cell infiltration with a prominent increase in F4/80+ cell numbers. The relative messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expressions of FoxO4 were increased in both ovalbumin-induced mice and interleukin-4 (IL-4)-induced Raw264.7 cells. Inhibition of FoxO4 via AS1842856 reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, the number of Periodic Acid Schiff+ (PAS+) goblet cells, the numbers of inflammatory cells in the blood, and the airway resistance in ovalbumin-induced mice. Besides, interference of FoxO4 decreased the number of F4/80+CD206+ cells, and the relative protein expressions of CD163 and Arg1 in vivo and in vitro. Mechanically, suppression of FoxO4 diminished the relative mRNA and protein expressions of LXA4R in both ovalbumin-induced mice and IL-4-induced Raw264.7 cells. Overexpression of LXA4R reversed the outcomes caused by repression of FoxO4, including airway resistance, the number of F4/80+ cells, the proportion of CD206+ cells in ovalbumin-induced mice, and the proportion of F4/80+CD206+ cells in IL-4-induced Raw264.7 cells. CONCLUSION FoxO4/LXA4R axis mediated macrophage M2 polarization in allergic asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Yu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yiping Yu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingyu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guoqing Chen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China;
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Wang AL, Lahousse L, Dahlin A, Edris A, McGeachie M, Lutz SM, Sordillo JE, Brusselle G, Lasky-Su J, Weiss ST, Iribarren C, Lu MX, Tantisira KG, Wu AC. Novel genetic variants associated with inhaled corticosteroid treatment response in older adults with asthma. Thorax 2023; 78:432-441. [PMID: 35501119 PMCID: PMC9810110 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-217674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Older adults have the greatest burden of asthma and poorest outcomes. The pharmacogenetics of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment response is not well studied in older adults. METHODS A genome-wide association study of ICS response was performed in asthmatics of European ancestry in Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) by fitting Cox proportional hazards regression models, followed by validation in the Mass General Brigham (MGB) Biobank and Rotterdam Study. ICS response was measured using two definitions in asthmatics on ICS treatment: (1) absence of oral corticosteroid (OCS) bursts using prescription records and (2) absence of asthma-related exacerbations using diagnosis codes. A fixed-effect meta-analysis was performed for each outcome. The validated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were functionally annotated to standard databases. RESULTS In 5710 subjects in GERA, 676 subjects in MGB Biobank, and 465 subjects in the Rotterdam Study, four novel SNPs on chromosome six near PTCHD4 validated across all cohorts and met genome-wide significance on meta-analysis for the OCS burst outcome. In 4541 subjects in GERA and 505 subjects in MGB Biobank, 152 SNPs with p<5 × 10-5 were validated across these two cohorts for the asthma-related exacerbation outcome. The validated SNPs included methylation and expression quantitative trait loci for CPED1, CRADD and DST for the OCS burst outcome and GM2A, SNW1, CACNA1C, DPH1, and RPS10 for the asthma-related exacerbation outcome. CONCLUSIONS Multiple novel SNPs associated with ICS response were identified in older adult asthmatics. Several SNPs annotated to genes previously associated with asthma and other airway or allergic diseases, including PTCHD4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberta L Wang
- Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lies Lahousse
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Amber Dahlin
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ahmed Edris
- Department of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael McGeachie
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sharon M Lutz
- PRecisiOn Medicine Translational Research (PROMoTeR) Center, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joanne E Sordillo
- PRecisiOn Medicine Translational Research (PROMoTeR) Center, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Guy Brusselle
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica Lasky-Su
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Scott T Weiss
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carlos Iribarren
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Meng X Lu
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Kelan G Tantisira
- Division of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Rady's Children's Hospital-San Diego, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Ann C Wu
- PRecisiOn Medicine Translational Research (PROMoTeR) Center, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Herrera-Luis E, Forno E, Celedón JC, Pino-Yanes M. Asthma Exacerbations: The Genes Behind the Scenes. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2023; 33:76-94. [PMID: 36420738 PMCID: PMC10638677 DOI: 10.18176/jiaci.0878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinical and socioeconomic burden of asthma exacerbations (AEs) constitutes a major public health problem. In the last 4 years, there has been an increase in ethnic diversity in candidate-gene and genome-wide association studies of AEs, which in the latter case led to the identification of novel genes and underlying pathobiological processes. Pharmacogenomics, admixture mapping analyses, and the combination of multiple "omics" layers have helped to prioritize genomic regions of interest and/or facilitated our understanding of the functional consequences of genetic variation. Nevertheless, the field still lags behind the genomics of asthma, where a vast compendium of genetic approaches has been used (eg, gene-environment nteractions, next-generation sequencing, and polygenic risk scores). Furthermore, the roles of the DNA methylome and histone modifications in AEs have received little attention, and microRNA findings remain to be validated in independent studies. Likewise, the most recent transcriptomic studies highlight the importance of the host-airway microbiome interaction in the modulation of risk of AEs. Leveraging -omics and deep-phenotyping data from subtypes or homogenous subgroups of patients will be crucial if we are to overcome the inherent heterogeneity of AEs, boost the identification of potential therapeutic targets, and implement precision medicine approaches to AEs in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Herrera-Luis
- Genomics and Health Group, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - E Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children´s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - J C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children´s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - M Pino-Yanes
- Genomics and Health Group, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain 4 Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Stikker BS, Hendriks RW, Stadhouders R. Decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma. Allergy 2023; 78:940-956. [PMID: 36727912 DOI: 10.1111/all.15666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Asthma is a complex and heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Alongside environmental factors, asthma susceptibility is strongly influenced by genetics. Given its high prevalence and our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease susceptibility, asthma is frequently studied in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with asthma development. Virtually all these genetic variants reside in non-coding genomic regions, which has obscured the functional impact of asthma-associated variants and their translation into disease-relevant mechanisms. Recent advances in genomics technology and epigenetics now offer methods to link genetic variants to gene regulatory elements embedded within non-coding regions, which have started to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying the complex (epi)genetics of asthma. Here, we provide an integrated overview of (epi)genetic variants associated with asthma, focusing on efforts to link these disease associations to biological insight into asthma pathophysiology using state-of-the-art genomics methodology. Finally, we provide a perspective as to how decoding the genetic and epigenetic basis of asthma has the potential to transform clinical management of asthma and to predict the risk of asthma development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard S Stikker
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi W Hendriks
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ralph Stadhouders
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Koh KD, Bonser LR, Eckalbar WL, Yizhar-Barnea O, Shen J, Zeng X, Hargett KL, Sun DI, Zlock LT, Finkbeiner WE, Ahituv N, Erle DJ. Genomic characterization and therapeutic utilization of IL-13-responsive sequences in asthma. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100229. [PMID: 36777184 PMCID: PMC9903679 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial responses to the cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13) cause airway obstruction in asthma. Here we utilized multiple genomic techniques to identify IL-13-responsive regulatory elements in bronchial epithelial cells and used these data to develop a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi)-based therapeutic approach to downregulate airway obstruction-inducing genes in a cell type- and IL-13-specific manner. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and acetylated lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) in primary human bronchial epithelial cells, we identified IL-13-responsive genes and regulatory elements. These sequences were functionally validated and optimized via massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs) for IL-13-inducible activity. The top secretory cell-selective sequence from the MPRA, a novel, distal enhancer of the sterile alpha motif pointed domain containing E-26 transformation-specific transcription factor (SPDEF) gene, was utilized to drive CRISPRi and knock down SPDEF or mucin 5AC (MUC5AC), both involved in pathologic mucus production in asthma. Our work provides a catalog of cell type-specific genes and regulatory elements involved in IL-13 bronchial epithelial response and showcases their use for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Duk Koh
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Luke R. Bonser
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Walter L. Eckalbar
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- CoLabs, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ofer Yizhar-Barnea
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jiangshan Shen
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Xiaoning Zeng
- Department of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kirsten L. Hargett
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Dingyuan I. Sun
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Lorna T. Zlock
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Walter E. Finkbeiner
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Nadav Ahituv
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David J. Erle
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- CoLabs, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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10
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Forno E, Brandenburg DD, Castro-Rodriguez JA, Celis-Preciado CA, Holguin F, Licskai C, Lovinsky-Desir S, Pizzichini M, Teper A, Yang C, Celedón JC. Asthma in the Americas: An Update: A Joint Perspective from the Brazilian Thoracic Society, Canadian Thoracic Society, Latin American Thoracic Society, and American Thoracic Society. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2022; 19:525-535. [PMID: 35030062 PMCID: PMC8996271 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202109-1068cme] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma affects a large number of people living in the Americas, a vast and diverse geographic region comprising 35 nations in the Caribbean and North, Central, and South America. The marked variability in the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality from asthma across and within nations in the Americas offers a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of the risk factors and management of asthma phenotypes and endotypes in children and adults. Moreover, a better assessment of the causes and treatment of asthma in less economically developed regions in the Americas would help diagnose and treat individuals migrating from those areas to Canada and the United States. In this focused review, we first assess the epidemiology of asthma, review known and potential risk factors, and examine commonalities and differences in asthma management across the Americas. We then discuss future directions in research and health policies to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and management of pediatric and adult asthma in the Americas, including standardized and periodic assessment of asthma burden across the region; large-scale longitudinal studies including omics and comprehensive environmental data on racially and ethnically diverse populations; and dissemination and implementation of guidelines for asthma management across the spectrum of disease severity. New initiatives should recognize differences in socioeconomic development and health care systems across the region while paying particular attention to novel or more impactful risk factors for asthma in the Americas, including indoor pollutants such as biomass fuel, tobacco use, infectious agents and the microbiome, and psychosocial stressor and chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Pediatric Asthma Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Diego D. Brandenburg
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jose A. Castro-Rodriguez
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos A. Celis-Preciado
- Pulmonary Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio and Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Fernando Holguin
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Christopher Licskai
- Department of Medicine, Western University Canada, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Marcia Pizzichini
- Post-Graduate Program of Medical Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Teper
- Respiratory Center, Hospital de Niños Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; and
| | - Connie Yang
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Juan C. Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Pediatric Asthma Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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11
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Xu Z, Forno E, Acosta-Pérez E, Han YY, Rosser F, Manni ML, Canino G, Chen W, Celedón JC. Differential gene expression in nasal airway epithelium from overweight or obese youth with asthma. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2022; 33:e13776. [PMID: 35470932 PMCID: PMC9047012 DOI: 10.1111/pai.13776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms underlying the known link between overweight/obesity and childhood asthma are unclear. We aimed to identify differentially expressed genes and pathways associated with obesity-related asthma through a transcriptomic analysis of nasal airway epithelium. METHODS We compared the whole transcriptome in nasal airway epithelium of youth with overweight or obesity and asthma with that of youth of normal weight and asthma, using RNA sequencing data from a cohort of 235 Puerto Ricans aged 9-20 years (EVA-PR) and an independent cohort of 66 children aged 6-16 years in Pittsburgh (VDKA). Differential expression analysis adjusting for age, sex, sequencing plate number, and sample sorting protocol, and the first five principal components were performed independently in each cohort. Results from the two cohorts were combined in a transcriptome-wide meta-analysis. Gene enrichment and network analyses were performed on top genes. RESULTS In the meta-analysis, 29 genes were associated with obesity-related asthma at an FDR-adjusted p <.05, including pro-inflammatory genes known to be differentially expressed in adipose tissue of obese subjects (e.g., CXCL11, CXCL10, and CXCL9) and several novel genes. Functional enrichment analyses showed that pathways for interferon signaling, and innate and adaptive immune responses were down-regulated in overweight/obese youth with asthma, while pathways related to ciliary structure or function were up-regulated. Upstream regulatory analysis predicted significant inhibition of the IRF7 pathway. Network analyses identified "hub" genes like GBP5 and SOCS1. CONCLUSION Our transcriptome-wide analysis of nasal airway epithelium identified biologically plausible genes and pathways for obesity-related asthma in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongli Xu
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Edna Acosta-Pérez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Yueh-Ying Han
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Franziska Rosser
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michelle L. Manni
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Juan C. Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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12
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Yan Q, Forno E, Celedón JC, Chen W, Weeks DE. CHIT: an allele-specific method for testing the association between molecular quantitative traits and phenotype-genotype interaction. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:4764-4770. [PMID: 34323937 PMCID: PMC8711119 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Allele-specific differences in molecular traits can be obtained from next-generation sequencing data and could potentially improve testing power, but such information is usually overlooked in association studies. Furthermore, the variation of molecular quantitative traits (e.g. gene expression) could result from the interaction effect of genotypes and phenotypes, but it is challenging to identify such interaction signals in complex disease studies in humans due to small genetic effect sizes and/or small sample sizes. RESULTS We develop a novel statistical method, the combined haplotype interaction test (CHIT), which tests for association between molecular quantitative traits and phenotype-genotype interactions by modeling the total read counts and allele-specific reads in a target region. CHIT can be used as a supplementary analysis to the regular linear interaction regression. In our simulations, CHIT obtains non-inflated type I error rates, and it has higher power than a standard interaction quantitative trait locus approach based on linear regression models. Finally, we illustrate CHIT by testing associations between gene expression obtained by RNA-seq and the interaction of SNPs and atopy status from a study of childhood asthma in Puerto Ricans, and results demonstrate that CHIT could be more powerful than a standard linear interaction expression quantitative trait loci approach. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The CHIT algorithm has been implemented in Python. The source code and documentation are available and can be downloaded from https://github.com/QiYanPitt/CHIT. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Daniel E Weeks
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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13
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Yan Q, Forno E, Cardenas A, Qi C, Han YY, Acosta-Pérez E, Kim S, Zhang R, Boutaoui N, Canino G, Vonk JM, Xu CJ, Chen W, Marsland A, Oken E, Gold DR, Koppelman GH, Celedón JC. Exposure to violence, chronic stress, nasal DNA methylation, and atopic asthma in children. Pediatr Pulmonol 2021; 56:1896-1905. [PMID: 33751861 PMCID: PMC8217314 DOI: 10.1002/ppul.25372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to violence (ETV) or chronic stress may influence asthma through unclear mechanisms. METHODS Epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of ETV or chronic stress measures and DNA methylation in nasal epithelium from 487 Puerto Ricans aged 9-20 years who participated in the Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans study [EVA-PR]). We assessed four measures of ETV and chronic stress in children (ETV scale, gun violence, and perceived stress) and their mothers (perceived stress). Each EWAS was conducted using linear regression, with CpGs as dependent variables and the stress/violence measure as a predictor, adjusting for age, sex, the top five principal components, and SVA latent factors. We then selected the top 100 CpGs (by p value) associated with each stress/violence measure in EVA-PR and conducted a meta-analysis of the selected CpGs and atopic asthma using data from EVA-PR and two additional cohorts (Project Viva and PIAMA). RESULTS Three CpGs (in SNN, PTPRN2, and LINC01164) were associated with maternal perceived stress or gun violence (p = 1.28-3.36 × 10-7 ), but not with atopic asthma, in EVA-PR. In a meta-analysis of three cohorts, which included the top CpGs associated with stress/violence measures in EVA-PR, 12 CpGs (in STARD3NL, SLC35F4, TSR3, CDC42SE2, KLHL25, PLCB1, BUD13, OR2B3, GALR1, TMEM196, TEAD4, and ANAPC13) were associated with atopic asthma at FDR-p < .05. CONCLUSIONS Pending confirmation in longitudinal studies, our findings suggest that nasal epithelial methylation markers associated with measures of ETV and chronic stress may be linked to atopic asthma in children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Yan
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cancan Qi
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, GRIAC Research Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yueh-Ying Han
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edna Acosta-Pérez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rong Zhang
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nadia Boutaoui
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Judith M Vonk
- University Medical Center Groningen, GRIAC Research Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cheng-Jian Xu
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, GRIAC Research Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Anna Marsland
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Diane R Gold
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gerard H Koppelman
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, GRIAC Research Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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14
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The Predictive Role of Biomarkers and Genetics in Childhood Asthma Exacerbations. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094651. [PMID: 33925009 PMCID: PMC8124320 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma exacerbations are associated with significant childhood morbidity and mortality. Recurrent asthma attacks contribute to progressive loss of lung function and can sometimes be fatal or near-fatal, even in mild asthma. Exacerbation prevention becomes a primary target in the management of all asthmatic patients. Our work reviews current advances on exacerbation predictive factors, focusing on the role of non-invasive biomarkers and genetics in order to identify subjects at higher risk of asthma attacks. Easy-to-perform tests are necessary in children; therefore, interest has increased on samples like exhaled breath condensate, urine and saliva. The variability of biomarker levels suggests the use of seriate measurements and composite markers. Genetic predisposition to childhood asthma onset has been largely investigated. Recent studies highlighted the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms even on exacerbation susceptibility, through involvement of both intrinsic mechanisms and gene-environment interaction. The role of molecular and genetic aspects in exacerbation prediction supports an individual-shaped approach, in which follow-up planning and therapy optimization take into account not only the severity degree, but also the risk of recurrent exacerbations. Further efforts should be made to improve and validate the application of biomarkers and genomics in clinical settings.
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15
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Yan Q, Forno E, Herrera-Luis E, Pino-Yanes M, Qi C, Rios R, Han YY, Kim S, Oh S, Acosta-Pérez E, Zhang R, Hu D, Eng C, Huntsman S, Avila L, Boutaoui N, Cloutier MM, Soto-Quiros ME, Xu CJ, Weiss ST, Lasky-Su J, Kiedrowski MR, Figueiredo C, Bomberger J, Barreto ML, Canino G, Chen W, Koppelman GH, Burchard EG, Celedón JC. A genome-wide association study of severe asthma exacerbations in Latino children and adolescents. Eur Respir J 2021; 57:2002693. [PMID: 33093117 PMCID: PMC8026735 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02693-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Severe asthma exacerbations are a major cause of school absences and healthcare costs in children, particularly those in high-risk racial/ethnic groups.To identify susceptibility genes for severe asthma exacerbations in Latino children and adolescents, we conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in 4010 Latino youth with asthma in four independent cohorts, including 1693 Puerto Ricans, 1019 Costa Ricans, 640 Mexicans, 256 Brazilians and 402 members of other Latino subgroups. We then conducted methylation quantitative trait locus, expression quantitative trait locus and expression quantitative trait methylation analyses to assess whether the top single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the meta-analysis is linked to DNA methylation and gene expression in nasal (airway) epithelium in separate cohorts of Puerto Rican and Dutch children and adolescents.In the meta-analysis of GWAS, an SNP in FLJ22447 (rs2253681) was significantly associated with 1.55 increased odds of severe asthma exacerbation (95% CI 1.34-1.79, p=6.3×10-9). This SNP was significantly associated with DNA methylation of a CpG site (cg25024579) at the FLJ22447 locus, which was in turn associated with increased expression of KCNJ2-AS1 in nasal airway epithelium from Puerto Rican children and adolescents (β=0.10, p=2.18×10-7).SNP rs2253681 was significantly associated with both DNA methylation of a cis-CpG in FLJ22447 and severe asthma exacerbations in Latino youth. This may be partly explained by changes in airway epithelial expression of a gene recently implicated in atopic asthma in Puerto Rican children and adolescents (KCNJ2-AS1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Yan
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Shared first authors
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Shared first authors
| | - Esther Herrera-Luis
- Genomics and Health Group, Dept of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
- Shared first authors
| | - Maria Pino-Yanes
- Genomics and Health Group, Dept of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cancan Qi
- Dept of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Raimon Rios
- Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Yueh-Ying Han
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sam Oh
- Dept of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Edna Acosta-Pérez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Rong Zhang
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Donglei Hu
- Dept of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Celeste Eng
- Dept of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Scott Huntsman
- Dept of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lydiana Avila
- Dept of Pediatrics, Hospital Nacional de Niños, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Nadia Boutaoui
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Cheng-Jian Xu
- CiiM and TWINCORE, joint ventures between the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
- Dept of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Scott T Weiss
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica Lasky-Su
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Megan R Kiedrowski
- Dept of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Camila Figueiredo
- Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Jennifer Bomberger
- Dept of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mauricio L Barreto
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gerard H Koppelman
- Dept of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergy, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- GRIAC Research Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Esteban G Burchard
- Dept of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Shared senior authors
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Shared senior authors
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16
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Yan Q, Forno E, Cardenas A, Qi C, Han YY, Acosta-Pérez E, Kim S, Zhang R, Boutaoui N, Canino G, Vonk JM, Xu CJ, Chen W, Oken E, Gold DR, Koppelman GH, Celedón JC. Exposure to violence, chronic stress, nasal DNA methylation, and atopic asthma in children. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2020. [PMID: 33173928 DOI: 10.1101/2020.11.03.20225250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Exposure to violence (ETV) or stress may cause asthma through unclear mechanisms. Methods Epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of DNA methylation in nasal epithelium and four ETV or chronic stress measures in 487 Puerto Ricans aged 9-20 years who participated in the Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans study [EVA-PR]). We assessed measures of ETV or chronic stress in children (ETV scale, gun violence, and perceived stress) and their mothers (perceived stress). Each EWAS was conducted using linear regression, with CpGs as dependent variables and the stress/violence measure as a predictor, adjusting for age, sex, the top five principal components, and SVA latent factors. We then selected the top 100 CpGs (by P-value) associated with each stress/violence measure in EVA-PR and conducted a meta-analysis of the selected CpGs and atopic asthma using data from EVA-PR and two additional cohorts (Project Viva and PIAMA). Results In the EWAS of stress/violence in EVA-PR, gun violence was associated with methylation of cg18961589 in LINC01164 (β=0.03, P =1.28×10 -7 ), and maternal stress was associated with methylation of cg03402351 in SNN (β=0.04, P =1.69×10 -7 ) and cg19064846 in PTPRN2 (β=0.03, P =3.36×10 -7 ). In a meta-analysis of three cohorts, which included the top CpGs associated with stress/violence in EVA-PR, CpGs in STARD3NL, SLC35F4, TSR3, CDC42SE2, KLHL25, PLCB1, BUD13, OR2B3, GALR1, TMEM196, TEAD4 and ANAPC13 were associated with atopic asthma at FDR- P < 0.05. Conclusions ETV and chronic stress may increase the risk of atopic asthma through DNA methylation in airway epithelium, though this needs confirmation in future longitudinal studies.
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Kim S, Forno E, Zhang R, Park HJ, Xu Z, Yan Q, Boutaoui N, Acosta-Pérez E, Canino G, Chen W, Celedón JC. Expression Quantitative Trait Methylation Analysis Reveals Methylomic Associations With Gene Expression in Childhood Asthma. Chest 2020; 158:1841-1856. [PMID: 32569636 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.05.601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nasal (airway) epithelial methylation profiles have been associated with asthma, but the effects of such profiles on expression of distant cis-genes are largely unknown. RESEARCH QUESTION To identify genes whose expression is associated with proximal and distal CpG probes (within 1 Mb), and to assess whether and how such genes are differentially expressed in atopic asthma. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Genome-wide expression quantitative trait methylation (eQTM) analysis in nasal epithelium from Puerto Rican subjects (aged 9-20 years) with (n = 219) and without (n = 236) asthma. After the eQTM analysis, a Gene Ontology Enrichment analysis was conducted for the top 500 eQTM genes, and mediation analyses were performed to identify paths from DNA methylation to atopic asthma through gene expression. Asthma was defined as physician-diagnosed asthma and wheeze in the previous year, and atopy was defined as at least one positive IgE to allergens. Atopic asthma was defined as the presence of both atopy and asthma. RESULTS We identified 16,867 significant methylation-gene expression pairs (false-discovery rate-adjusted P < .01) in nasal epithelium from study participants. Most eQTM methylation probes were distant (average distance, ∼378 kb) from their target genes, and also more likely to be located in enhancer regions of their target genes in lung tissue than control probes. The top 500 eQTM genes were enriched in pathways for immune processes and epithelial integrity and were more likely to have been previously identified as differentially expressed in atopic asthma. In a mediation analysis, we identified 5,934 paths through which methylation markers could affect atopic asthma through gene expression in nasal epithelium. INTERPRETATION Previous epigenome-wide association studies of asthma have estimated the effects of DNA methylation markers on expression of nearby genes in airway epithelium. Our findings suggest that distant epigenetic regulation of gene expression in airway epithelium plays a role in atopic asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyeon Kim
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Erick Forno
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Rong Zhang
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Hyun Jung Park
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Zhongli Xu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Yan
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Nadia Boutaoui
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Edna Acosta-Pérez
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
| | - Glorisa Canino
- Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR
| | - Wei Chen
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Juan C Celedón
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
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