Symptoms, lung function, and β2-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
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; birth cohort; bronchial responsiveness; General aspects; lung function; Medical sciences; neonatal measurements; Pneumology; β2AR polymorphisms
• 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 (β2AR) 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 β2AR. 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 FEV1 (P = 0.03). Increased neonatal bronchial responsiveness was associated with transient wheeze