Turner, SW and Ayres, JG and Macfarlane, TV and Mehta, A and Mehta, G and Palmer, CN and Cunningham, S and Adams, T and Aniruddhan, K and Bell, C and Corrigan, D and Cunningham, J and Duncan, A and Hunt, G and Leece, R and MacFadyen, U and McCormick, J and McLeish, S and Mitra, A and Miller, D and Waxman, E and Webb, A and Wojcik, S and Mukhopadhyay, S and Macgregor, D (2010) A methodology to establish a database to study gene environment interactions for childhood asthma. BMC MED RES METHODOL , 10 , Article 107. 10.1186/1471-2288-10-107.
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Abstract
Background: Gene-environment interactions are likely to explain some of the heterogeneity in childhood asthma. Here, we describe the methodology and experiences in establishing a database for childhood asthma designed to study gene-environment interactions (PAGES - Paediatric Asthma Gene Environment Study).Methods: Children with asthma and under the care of a respiratory paediatrician are being recruited from 15 hospitals between 2008 and 2011. An asthma questionnaire is completed and returned by post. At a routine clinic visit saliva is collected for DNA extraction. Detailed phenotyping in a proportion of children includes spirometry, bronchodilator response (BDR), skin prick reactivity, exhaled nitric oxide and salivary cotinine. Dietary and quality of life questionnaires are completed. Data are entered onto a purpose-built database.Results: To date 1045 children have been invited to participate and data collected in 501 (48%). The mean age (SD) of participants is 8.6 (3.9) years, 57% male. DNA has been collected in 436 children. Spirometry has been obtained in 172 children, mean % predicted (SD) FEV1 97% (15) and median (IQR) BDR is 5% (2, 9). There were differences in age, socioeconomic status, severity and % FEV1 between the different centres (p <= 0.024). Reasons for non-participation included parents not having time to take part, children not attending clinics and, in a small proportion, refusal to take part.Conclusions: It is feasible to establish a national database to study gene-environment interactions within an asthmatic paediatric population; there are barriers to participation and some different characteristics in individuals recruited from different centres. Recruitment to our study continues and is anticipated to extend current understanding of asthma heterogeneity.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | A methodology to establish a database to study gene environment interactions for childhood asthma |
| Open access status: | An open access publication. A version is also available from UCL Discovery. |
| DOI: | 10.1186/1471-2288-10-107 |
| Publisher version: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2288/10/107/ |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2010 Turner et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | LUNG-FUNCTION, INHALED CORTICOSTEROIDS, AIRWAY RESPONSIVENESS, CHILDREN, SEVERITY, POLYMORPHISM, SMOKING, SAMPLE, PHARMACOGENETICS, ASSOCIATION |
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