Symptoms, lung function, and β 2 ‐adrenoceptor polymorphisms in a birth cohort followed for 10 years

• Published in: Pediatric pulmonology 2004-07, Vol.38 (1), p.75-81
• Main Authors: Wilson, Nicola M., Lamprill, Jane R., Mak, Judith C.W., Clarke, Jane R., Bush, Andrew, Silverman, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 8755-6863; 1099-0496
• DOI: 10.1002/ppul.20049

As little is known about the natural history of bronchial responsiveness and the development of wheezing symptoms in early childhood, a cohort of children at risk of allergy, whose lung function and bronchial responsiveness had been measured in the neonatal period, was followed prospectively for 10 (SD, 0.8) years in order to determine the role of neonatal measurements on wheezing history and later lung function. A potential role for beta‐2 adrenoceptor (β 2 AR) polymorphisms in these relationships was also sought as a secondary objective. Of the original 73 children, wheezing history was available in 65 (89%), and 49 (67%) attended the laboratory for physiological measurements and genotyping of β 2 AR. Wheezing was categorized as occurring 1) only before the fourth birthday, 2) after the fourth birthday, or 3) never. No relation was seen between neonatal and later lung function. However, neonatal bronchial responsiveness predicted subsequent FEV 1 ( P  = 0.03). Increased neonatal bronchial responsiveness was associated with transient wheeze