Person:

Israel, Elliot

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). The genetics of asthma have been widely studied in mouse and human, and homologous genomic regions have been associated with mouse AHR and human asthma-related phenotypes. Our goal was to identify asthma-related genes by integrating AHR associations in mouse with human genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. We used Efficient Mixed Model Association (EMMA) analysis to conduct a GWAS of baseline AHR measures from males and females of 31 mouse strains. Genes near or containing SNPs with EMMA p-values <0.001 were selected for further study in human GWAS. The results of the previously reported EVE consortium asthma GWAS meta-analysis consisting of 12,958 diverse North American subjects from 9 study centers were used to select a subset of homologous genes with evidence of association with asthma in humans. Following validation attempts in three human asthma GWAS (i.e., Sepracor/LOCCS/LODO/Illumina, GABRIEL, DAG) and two human AHR GWAS (i.e., SHARP, DAG), the Kv channel interacting protein 4 (KCNIP4) gene was identified as nominally associated with both asthma and AHR at a gene- and SNP-level. In EVE, the smallest KCNIP4 association was at rs6833065 (P-value 2.9e-04), while the strongest associations for Sepracor/LOCCS/LODO/Illumina, GABRIEL, DAG were 1.5e-03, 1.0e-03, 3.1e-03 at rs7664617, rs4697177, rs4696975, respectively. At a SNP level, the strongest association across all asthma GWAS was at rs4697177 (P-value 1.1e-04). The smallest P-values for association with AHR were 2.3e-03 at rs11947661 in SHARP and 2.1e-03 at rs402802 in DAG. Functional studies are required to validate the potential involvement of KCNIP4 in modulating asthma susceptibility and/or AHR. Our results suggest that a useful approach to identify genes associated with human asthma is to leverage mouse AHR association data.

Background Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) have been associated with IgE (in girls) and asthma (in general). We sought to determine whether TSLP SNPs are associated with asthma in a sex-specific fashion.

Methods We conducted regular and sex-stratified analyses of association between SNPs in TSLP and asthma in families of asthmatic children in Costa Rica. Significant findings were replicated in white and African-American participants in the Childhood Asthma Management Program, in African Americans in the Genomic Research on Asthma in the African Diaspora study, in whites and Hispanics in the Children’s Health Study, and in whites in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS).

Main Results Two SNPs in TSLP (rs1837253 and rs2289276) were significantly associated with a reduced risk of asthma in combined analyses of all cohorts (p values of 2×10−5 and 1×10−5, respectively). In a sex-stratified analysis, the T allele of rs1837253 was significantly associated with a reduced risk of asthma in males only (p= 3×10−6). Alternately, the T allele of rs2289276 was significantly associated with a reduced risk of asthma in females only (p= 2×10−4). Findings for rs2289276 were consistent in all cohorts except the FHS.

Conclusions TSLP variants are associated with asthma in a sex-specific fashion.

Background The relationship between anti-inflammatory lipoxins and pro-inflammatory leukotrienes may be important in the pathobiology of asthma and its severity.

Objective To investigate whether exhaled breath condensate (EBC) lipoxin and leukotriene measurements can non-invasively characterize the asthmatic diathesis and its severity.

Methods We measured lipoxin A4 (LXA4) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) levels in EBC collected from asthmatics of different severities and from healthy controls.

Results EBC LXA4 and LTB4 levels are elevated in asthmatics as compared to healthy controls (LXA4 31.40 vs. 2.41 pg/ml EBC respectively, p < 0.001; LTB4 45.62 vs. 3.82 pg/ml EBC, p < 0.001). While both eicosanoids are elevated in asthmatics, the ratio LXA4 to LTB4 decreases with increasing asthma severity. It is 41% lower in severe versus moderate asthmatics (0.52 vs. 0.88, p = 0.034). EBC LXA4 levels correlate with the degree of airflow obstruction measured by FEV1 (r = 0.28, p = 0.018). A cut-off value of 7 pg LXA4/ml EBC provides 90% sensitivity and 92% specificity for the diagnosis of asthma (AUC 0.96, p < 0.001). A cut-off value of 11 pg LTB4/ml EBC provides 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for the diagnosis of asthma (AUC 1, p < 0.001).

Conclusions Pro-resolving and pro-inflammatory eicosanoids are generated in airways of all asthmatics. The proportion of pro-resolving compounds declines with asthma severity. These findings support the role for EBC eicosanoid measurements in the non-invasive diagnosis of asthma and suggest that pro-resolving eicosanoid pathways are dys-regulated in severe asthma.

Background

Previous studies have identified asthma phenotypes based on small numbers of clinical, physiologic or inflammatory characteristics. However, no studies have utilized a wide range of variables using machine learning approaches.

Objectives

To identify subphenotypes of asthma utilizing blood, bronchoscopic, exhaled nitric oxide and clinical data from the Severe Asthma Research Program using unsupervised clustering, and then characterize them using supervised learning approaches.

Methods

Unsupervised clustering approaches were applied to 112 clinical, physiologic and inflammatory variables from 378 subjects. Variable selection and supervised learning techniques were employed to select relevant and nonredundant variables, address their predictive values, as well as the predictive value of the full variable set.

Results

Ten variable clusters and six subject clusters were identified, which differed and overlapped with previous clusters. Traditionally defined severe asthmatics distributed through subject Clusters 3–6. Cluster 4 identified early onset allergic asthmatics with low lung function and eosinophilic inflammation. Later onset, mostly severe asthmatics with nasal polyps and eosinophilia characterized Cluster 5. Cluster 6 asthmatics manifested persistent inflammation in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage and exacerbations despite high systemic corticosteroid use and side effects. Age of asthma onset, quality of life, symptoms, medications and health care utilization were some of the 51 nonredundant variables distinguishing subject clusters. These 51 variables classified test cases with 88% accuracy, compared to 93% accuracy with all 112 variables.

Conclusion

The unsupervised machine learning approaches used here provide unique insights into disease, confirming other approaches while revealing novel additional phenotypes.

Background Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) associates with asthma and eosinophilic inflammation. However, relationships between nitric oxide synthases, arginase, FeNO, asthma severity and inflammation remain poorly understood.

Objectives To determine the relationships of iNOS expression/activation and arginase 2 expression with asthma severity, FeNO, nitrotyrosine (NT) and eosinophilic inflammation.

Methods Bronchial brushings and sputum were obtained from 25 Normal Controls, 8 Mild/no inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), 16 Mild-Moderate/with ICS and 35 Severe Asthmatics. FeNO was measured the same day by ATS/ERS standards. iNOS, Arginase2 mRNA/protein and NT protein were measured in lysates from bronchial brushings by quantitative real time PCR and Western Blot. Induced sputum differentials were obtained.

Results Severe asthma was associated with the highest levels of iNOS protein and mRNA, although the index of iNOS mRNA to arginase2 mRNA most strongly differentiated severe from milder asthma. When evaluating NO-related enzyme functionality, iNOS mRNA/protein expression both strongly predicted FeNO (r=0.61, p<0.0001 for both). Only iNOS protein predicted NT levels (r=0.48, p=0.003) with the strongest relationship in severe asthma (r=0.61, p=0.009). iNOS protein, FeNO and NT all correlated with sputum eosinophils, but the relationships were again strongest in severe asthma. Controlling for arginase 2 mRNA/protein did not impact any functional outcome.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance These data suggest that while iNOS expression from epithelial brushings is highest in severe asthma, factors controlling arginase2 mRNA expression significantly improve differentiation of severity. In contrast, functionality of the NO pathway as measured by FeNO, NT and eosinophilic inflammation, is strongly associated with iNOS expression alone, particularly in severe asthma.

Protectins are newly identified natural chemical mediators that counter leukocyte activation to promote resolution of inflammation. In this study, we provide the first evidence for protectin D1 (PD1, 10R,17S-dihydroxy-docosa-4Z,7Z,11E,13E,15Z,19Z-hexaenoic acid) formation from docosahexaenoic acid in human asthma in vivo and PD1 counterregulatory actions in allergic airway inflammation. PD1 and 17S-hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid were present in exhaled breath condensates from healthy subjects. Of interest, levels of PD1 were significantly lower in exhaled breath condensates from subjects with asthma exacerbations. PD1 was also present in extracts of murine lungs from both control animals and those sensitized and aerosol challenged with allergen. When PD1 was administered before aeroallergen challenge, airway eosinophil and T lymphocyte recruitment were decreased, as were airway mucus, levels of specific proinflammatory mediators, including IL-13, cysteinyl leukotrienes, and PGD2, and airway hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine. Of interest, PD1 treatment after aeroallergen challenge markedly accelerated the resolution of airway inflammation. Together, these findings provide evidence for endogenous PD1 as a pivotal counterregulatory signal in allergic airway inflammation and point to new therapeutic strategies for modulating inflammation in asthmatic lung.