A drug used today to treat rheumatoid arthritis might be effective in treating asthma symptoms after two genetic variants have been found to increase asthma susceptibility, researchers from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia and others from around the world reported in The Lancet. The scientists found that cytokines - genes associated with signalling molecules that are involved in how the immune system functions - are involved in the development of asthma.

The authors explained that the causes of asthma have for long been poorly understood, in spite of several attempts to locate the genetic variants. Some recent GWAS (genome-wide associated studies) have only managed to locate some candidate genes which appear to have a slight effect on asthma risk. They have not fully explained the heritability of asthma, which leads doctors and scientists to believe that many genetic variations are involved.

Manuel Ferreira and an international team of experts set out to determine what genetic variations might be responsible for higher asthma risk by carefully examining all current GWAS and expanding on them.

They compared the genomes of thousands of asthma patients with individuals who do not have asthma across several populations and identified two genetic mutations that were strongly linked to asthma risk.

The genetic variants were:
  • rs4129267 in the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) gene, and
  • rs7130588 on chromosome 11q13.5
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine. A cytokine is any substance that is secreted by some immune system cells that have an effect on other cells. Interferon, interleukin, and growth factors are examples of cytokines. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) plays a major role in immunity response and inflammation - it is involved in the way diseases develop (pathogenesis), including rheumatoid arthritis. The expression of the IL-6 receptor is increased by the rs4129267 risk variant. Consequently, the researchers believe that medications that inhibit the receptor should be tested in clinical trials to see how effective they are at reducing asthma-associated airway inflammation.

The drug tocilizumab is an example of a medication that blocks the receptor. It is already approved for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

A high proportion of atopic (allergic) asthma patients were found to have the rs7130588 variant on chromosome 11q13.5. Interestingly, it was correlated with a nearby variant which has been recently associated with atopic dermatitis risk.

The authors believe that a gene in this region is involved in the development of allergic sensitisation, which raises allergic asthma risk.

The authors wrote:

"At this stage it is unclear which gene underlies the association with 11q13.5. Given that no specific gene in this region has been directly implicated in allergic disease previou. sly, further characterisation of this region of association is likely to discover novel molecular mechanisms involved in the causality of eczema, atopy, and asthma."


So far, no single genetic cause has been located which is responsible for over 1% of asthma heritability, the authors added. Their findings demonstrate that asthma is a complex condition, and most likely several genes of small effect combine and interact with environmental risk factors in driving asthma risk.

The scientists concluded:

"Our results are consistent with the contribution of hundreds or potentially thousands of variants with weak effects on asthma risk, which can be identified through larger GWAS as already shown with other diseases."


Kathleen Barnes, from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, in a Comment in the same journal wrote:

"Success in the validation of various candidates (and their pathways) that are already on the asthma shortlist of potential causal genes, and the biological insight to be gained from the novel findings in this report are grounds for optimism in the continuation of the GWAS approach. Combination of GWAS with next-generation technologies will undoubtedly further help to disentangle the molecular underpinnings of complex traits such as asthma."


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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  • Citations

Published in a special European Respiratory Society issue of The Lancet, two new genetic variants or loci that increase susceptibility to asthma have been identified in an international investigation. These discoveries add to the evidence that genes connected with signaling molecules (cytokines) involved in the functioning of the immune system are linked with the development of asthma. This indicates that a medication which is used currently to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might be successful to treat asthma.

Although there have been several attempts to detect the specific genetic mechanisms responsible for asthma, the causes are not very well understood. Several candidate genes have been identified in recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS), that have a moderate effect on the risk of asthma, however, this only explains a small segment of the disease heritability indicating that several more genetic variations have yet to be identified.

Expanding and combining existing asthma GWAS was carried out by Manuel Ferreira from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia, who led an international team, In order to try and identify new genetic variations responsible for increasing the risk of asthma. When they compared the genomes of thousands of patients with asthma with genomes of individuals who didn't have asthma across several populations, they discovered two new genetic variants with a strong link with asthma risk, rs4129267 in the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) gene and rs7130588 on chromosome 11q13.5.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that plays a crucial role in immunity and inflammation, and is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. The rs4129267 risk variant increases the expression of the IL-6 receptor and therefore the researchers propose that medications that block the receptor, such as tocilizumab which for RA is already licensed for treatment, should be taken into consideration for clinical trials in order to prevent or reduce the airway inflammation linked with asthma.

The rs7130588 variant on chromosome 11q13.5 was discovered to be more common in asthma patients who are atopic (allergic), and was connected with a close variant which was recently associated with atopic dermatitis. Indicating that a gene in this area has an important role in the development of allergic sensitization, which increases the following risk of developing allergic asthma. The researchers explain:

"At this stage it is unclear which gene underlies the association with 11q13.5. Given that no specific gene in this region has been directly implicated in allergic disease previously, further characterization of this region of association is likely to discover novel molecular mechanisms involved in the causality of eczema, atopy, and asthma."


Up until now, not one genetic cause has been identified that accounts for over 1% of asthma heritability. Results from this investigation verify that the disease is complex, with potentially numerous genes of small effect each combining and interacting with environmental risk factors to effect whether an individual is likely to develop asthma.

They conclude:

"Our results are consistent with the contribution of hundreds or potentially thousands of variants with weak effects on asthma risk, which can be identified through larger GWAS as already shown with other diseases."


Talking about the pros and cons of GWAS design, Kathleen Barnes from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, comments:

"Success in the validation of various candidates (and their pathways) that are already on the asthma shortlist of potential causal genes, and the biological insight to be gained from the novel findings in this report are grounds for optimism in the continuation of the GWAS approach. Combination of GWAS with next-generation technologies will undoubtedly further help to disentangle the molecular underpinnings of complex traits such as asthma."


Written by Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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There is a subcategory of folk art paintings since I was a child. She favors animal prints, and I found one of a woman reclining in a hammock. She looked so relaxed, that I could imagine what it felt like to lie there myself.One of the most famous American artists is Thomas Chambers. It's called First Trolley to Van Nuys and shows the center of a town filled with people. I personally don't have any of these in my collection, since I like to collect pieces that I can relate to. Maybe it's because I spent a lot of time playing in my tree house, that the trees in the picture appealed to me so much. One of my favorites that she had was done by John Roeder. It's called Alligator Fisher and I'm thinking about getting because it reminds me of my cajun heritage, most of my family is from Louisiana. Now we're very close. When she died, she left me the painting and it hangs in a place of honor over my fireplace mantle. It's of a swamp house on a bayou and has a Louisiana feel to it.The painting that has touched me the most features a sad little girl and is called A Letter From My Mother. It's too bad my parents didn't let her play football with us. If she could kick the ball they way she liked to kick me in the knee, I'd see to it she played for my team every.....

Expanding and combining existing asthma GWAS was carried out by Manuel Ferreira from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia and others from around the world reported in The Lancet.A high proportion of atopic (allergic) asthma patients were found to have the rs7130588 variant on chromosome 11q13. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that plays a crucial role in immunity and inflammation, and is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) plays a major role in immunity response and inflammation - it is involved in the way diseases develop (pathogenesis), including rheumatoid arthritis. This indicates that a medication which is used currently to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might be successful to treat asthma. Combination of GWAS with next-generation technologies will undoubtedly further help to disentangle the molecular underpinnings of complex traits such as asthma.The authors wrote:"At this stage it is unclear which gene underlies the association with 11q13.5."Written by Christian NordqvistCopyright: Medical News TodayNot to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Additional References Citations Published in a special European Respiratory Society issue of The Lancet, two new genetic variants or loci that increase susceptibility to asthma have been identified in an international investigation.The drug tocilizumab is an example of a medication that blocks the receptor. Interestingly, it was correlated with a nearby variant which has been recently associated with atopic dermatitis risk. The rs7130588 variant on chromosome 11q13.The genetic variants were: rs4129267 in the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) gene, andrs7130588 on chromosome 11q13. The expression of the IL-6 receptor is increased by the rs4129267 risk variant.They compared the genomes of thousands of asthma patients with individuals who do not have asthma across several populations and identified two genetic mutations that were strongly linked to It is done in vibrant colors and also depicts the buildings in the market like an ice cream parlor and the Hotel Van Nuys. She favors animal prints, and I found one that depicts leopards and gave it to her for her birthday.There is a subcategory of folk art paintings that depict the world of black Americans. It's of a swamp house on a bayou and has a Louisiana feel to it. Now we're very close.One of the most famous American artists is Thomas Chambers. I spent a lot of time playing in my tree house, that the trees in the picture appealed to me so much. When she died, she left me the painting and it hangs in a place of honor over my fireplace mantle. It's a beautiful painting but it's just too depressing to hang anywhere. I have a friend who collects these and I found one of a woman reclining in a hammock. I personally don't have any of these in my collection, since I like to collect pieces that I can relate to. It's called First Trolley to Van Nuys and shows the center of a town filled with people. It was painted in 1988 by Reverend Howard Finster and is done in enamel. She looked so relaxed, that I could imagine what it felt like to lie there myself. It's called Alligator Fisher and I'm thinking about getting because it reminds me of my cajun heritage, most of my family is from Louisiana.Another painting that I admire is called Howard in 1944. I don't particularly care for his art. It's pretty funny to me that when we were growing up, she'd cry because she wasn't allowed to play football with the boys and I used to tease her relentlessly and pull her pigtails whenever I

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A drug used today to treat rheumatoid arthritis might be effective in treating asthma symptoms after two genetic variants have been found to increase asthma susceptibility, researchers from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia and others from around the world reported in The Lancet. The scientists found that cytokines - genes associated with signalling molecules that are involved in how the immune system functions - are involved in the development of asthma.

The authors explained that the causes of asthma have for long been poorly understood, in spite of several attempts to locate the genetic variants. Some recent GWAS (genome-wide associated studies) have only managed to locate some candidate genes which appear to have a slight effect on asthma risk. They have not fully explained the heritability of asthma, which leads doctors and scientists to believe that many genetic variations are involved.

Manuel Ferreira and an international team of experts set out to determine what genetic variations might be responsible for higher asthma risk by carefully examining all current GWAS and expanding on them.

They compared the genomes of thousands of asthma patients with individuals who do not have asthma across several populations and identified two genetic mutations that were strongly linked to asthma risk.

The genetic variants were:

  • rs4129267 in the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) gene, and
  • rs7130588 on chromosome 11q13.5
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine. A cytokine is any substance that is secreted by some immune system cells that have an effect on other cells. Interferon, interleukin, and growth factors are examples of cytokines. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) plays a major role in immunity response and inflammation - it is involved in the way diseases develop (pathogenesis), including rheumatoid arthritis. The expression of the IL-6 receptor is increased by the rs4129267 risk variant. Consequently, the researchers believe that medications that inhibit the receptor should be tested in clinical trials to see how effective they are at reducing asthma-associated airway inflammation.

The drug tocilizumab is an example of a medication that blocks the receptor. It is already approved for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

A high proportion of atopic (allergic) asthma patients were found to have the rs7130588 variant on chromosome 11q13.5. Interestingly, it was correlated with a nearby variant which has been recently associated with atopic dermatitis risk.

The authors believe that a gene in this region is involved in the development of allergic sensitisation, which raises allergic asthma risk.

The authors wrote:

"At this stage it is unclear which gene underlies the association with 11q13.5. Given that no specific gene in this region has been directly implicated in allergic disease previou. sly, further characterisation of this region of association is likely to discover novel molecular mechanisms involved in the causality of eczema, atopy, and asthma."


So far, no single genetic cause has been located which is responsible for over 1% of asthma heritability, the authors added. Their findings demonstrate that asthma is a complex condition, and most likely several genes of small effect combine and interact with environmental risk factors in driving asthma risk.

The scientists concluded:

"Our results are consistent with the contribution of hundreds or potentially thousands of variants with weak effects on asthma risk, which can be identified through larger GWAS as already shown with other diseases."


Kathleen Barnes, from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, in a Comment in the same journal wrote:

"Success in the validation of various candidates (and their pathways) that are already on the asthma shortlist of potential causal genes, and the biological insight to be gained from the novel findings in this report are grounds for optimism in the continuation of the GWAS approach. Combination of GWAS with next-generation technologies will undoubtedly further help to disentangle the molecular underpinnings of complex traits such as asthma."


Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

  • Additional
  • References
  • Citations

Published in a special European Respiratory Society issue of The Lancet, two new genetic variants or loci that increase susceptibility to asthma have been identified in an international investigation. These discoveries add to the evidence that genes connected with signaling molecules (cytokines) involved in the functioning of the immune system are linked with the development of asthma. This indicates that a medication which is used currently to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might be successful to treat asthma.

Although there have been several attempts to detect the specific genetic mechanisms responsible for asthma, the causes are not very well understood. Several candidate genes have been identified in recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS), that have a moderate effect on the risk of asthma, however, this only explains a small segment of the disease heritability indicating that several more genetic variations have yet to be identified.

Expanding and combining existing asthma GWAS was carried out by Manuel Ferreira from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia, who led an international team, In order to try and identify new genetic variations responsible for increasing the risk of asthma. When they compared the genomes of thousands of patients with asthma with genomes of individuals who didn't have asthma across several populations, they discovered two new genetic variants with a strong link with asthma risk, rs4129267 in the interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) gene and rs7130588 on chromosome 11q13.5.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that plays a crucial role in immunity and inflammation, and is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. The rs4129267 risk variant increases the expression of the IL-6 receptor and therefore the researchers propose that medications that block the receptor, such as tocilizumab which for RA is already licensed for treatment, should be taken into consideration for clinical trials in order to prevent or reduce the airway inflammation linked with asthma.

The rs7130588 variant on chromosome 11q13.5 was discovered to be more common in asthma patients who are atopic (allergic), and was connected with a close variant which was recently associated with atopic dermatitis. Indicating that a gene in this area has an important role in the development of allergic sensitization, which increases the following risk of developing allergic asthma. The researchers explain:

"At this stage it is unclear which gene underlies the association with 11q13.5. Given that no specific gene in this region has been directly implicated in allergic disease previously, further characterization of this region of association is likely to discover novel molecular mechanisms involved in the causality of eczema, atopy, and asthma."


Up until now, not one genetic cause has been identified that accounts for over 1% of asthma heritability. Results from this investigation verify that the disease is complex, with potentially numerous genes of small effect each combining and interacting with environmental risk factors to effect whether an individual is likely to develop asthma.

They conclude:

"Our results are consistent with the contribution of hundreds or potentially thousands of variants with weak effects on asthma risk, which can be identified through larger GWAS as already shown with other diseases."


Talking about the pros and cons of GWAS design, Kathleen Barnes from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, comments:

"Success in the validation of various candidates (and their pathways) that are already on the asthma shortlist of potential causal genes, and the biological insight to be gained from the novel findings in this report are grounds for optimism in the continuation of the GWAS approach. Combination of GWAS with next-generation technologies will undoubtedly further help to disentangle the molecular underpinnings of complex traits such as asthma."


Written by Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

  • Additional
  • References
  • Citations