The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume 119, Issue 1 , Pages 57-63, January 2007

Interrelationships of quantitative asthma-related phenotypes in the Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness, and Atopy

  • Marie-Pierre Oryszczyn, BSc

      Affiliations

    • From INSERM, U780, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Villejuif
    • Univ Paris-Sud, IFR69, Villejuif
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Marie-Pierre Oryszczyn, BSc, INSERM U780, 16 Avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94807 Villejuif Cedex, France.
    • ,
  • Emmanuelle Bouzigon, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • INSERM, U794, Statistical Methods and Genetic Epidemiology of Multifactorial Diseases, Evry
    • Université d'Evry, Evry
    • ,
  • Jean Maccario, PhD

      Affiliations

    • From INSERM, U780, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Villejuif
    • Université René Descartes, Paris 5
    • ,
  • Valérie Siroux, PhD

      Affiliations

    • INSERM, U578, Grenoble
    • ,
  • Rachel Nadif, PhD

      Affiliations

    • From INSERM, U780, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Villejuif
    • Univ Paris-Sud, IFR69, Villejuif
    • ,
  • Anne Wright, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Arizona Respiratory Center, Tucson
    • ,
  • Francine Kauffmann, MD

      Affiliations

    • From INSERM, U780, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Villejuif
    • Univ Paris-Sud, IFR69, Villejuif

Received 23 March 2006; received in revised form 18 September 2006; accepted 18 September 2006. published online 14 November 2006.

Villejuif, Evry, Paris, and Grenoble, France, and Tucson, Ariz

Background

Delineating asthma subphenotypes is of interest to understand the cause of the disease. Few studies have addressed the interrelationships of quantitative asthma-related traits.

Objective

We sought to study the interrelationships of allergy markers and FEV1 in relation to asthma and sex in children and adults.

Methods

Total IgE levels, skin prick test (SPT) positivity, eosinophil counts, and FEV1 were assessed in 299 asthmatic cases (children and adults) recruited in chest clinics and 309 nonasthmatic population-based control subjects in the French Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness, and Atopy.

Results

Allergy parameters were significantly higher in asthmatic cases than in control subjects for children and adults and for both sexes. Sex and age modified the pattern of concordance of high IgE levels, SPT positivity, and eosinophilia among asthmatic cases, with the greatest overlap in male children (64%) and the lowest in male adults (18%). Patterns of change over the lifespan of IgE levels, eosinophil counts, and FEV1/height2 varied, with the acceleration of FEV1 decrease being particularly evident in asthmatic adults. In adult cases and control subjects, SPT positivity (particularly to indoor allergens) was significantly related to IgE levels but not to eosinophil counts. The association of eosinophil counts with IgE levels was evident only in children. Environmental factors (smoking, pets, and country living) did not alter the patterns observed.

Conclusions

Each allergy-related phenotype showed a distinct relation with asthma, with the role for eosinophils being different than that for IgE levels and SPT responses.

Clinical implications

Taking age and sex into account is essential for understanding the interrelationships of the various allergy-related phenotypes to asthma status.

Key words: Allergy, asthma, eosinophils, epidemiology, sex, IgE, lung function

Abbreviations used: EGEA, Epidemiological Study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness, and Atopy, FEV1/H2, FEV1/height2, IU, International units, SPT, Skin prick test, SPTQ, Skin prick test quantitative score

 

 Supported by Cohorts and Collections (Inserm/Ministry of Research), AFSSET, ANR-PSET, and Agir adom.Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: The authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest.The names of the members of the EGEA Cooperative Group are shown in the Appendix.

PII: S0091-6749(06)01999-3

doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2006.09.026

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume 119, Issue 1 , Pages 57-63, January 2007

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