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Genetic ancestry contributed to asthma susceptibility in Latino children

Native American and African ancestry contributed to variations in asthma prevalence in Latino children, according to recent study results.

“Childhood asthma prevalence and morbidity varies among Latinos in the United States, with Puerto Ricans having the highest and Mexicans the lowest [rates],” Maria Pino-Yanes, PhD, postdoctoral scholar, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco. and colleagues reported.

Maria Pino-Yanes

Researchers analyzed 5,493 Latinos from three studies based in the US, Puerto Rico and Mexico City using genome-wide data to estimate the proportion of African, European and Native American ancestry. Testing was conducted to determine whether genetic ancestry was associated with the presence of asthma and lung function among participants with and without asthma. For every 20% increase in each ancestry, ORs and effect sizes were assessed.

Lower odds of asthma were associated with Native American ancestry (OR=0.72; 95% CI, 0.66-0.78) and higher odds of asthma were linked with African ancestry (OR=1.4; 95% CI, 1.14-1.72).

“These associations were robust to adjustment for covariates related to early life exposures, air pollution and socioeconomic status,” the researchers wrote.

Lower lung function, including both pre- and post-bronchodilator measures of FEV₁ (–77 ± 19 mL; P=5.8 x 10^-5 and –83 ± 19 mL; P=1.1 x 10^-5, respectively) and forced vital capacity (–100 ± 21 mL; P=2.7 x 10^-6 and –107 ± 22 mL; P=1 x 10^-6, respectively) was associated with African ancestry among children with asthma,

“We demonstrate that in addition to environmental and socioeconomic factors, genetic ancestry may partially explain differences in both asthma susceptibility and lung function across children from different Latino ethnic groups,” the researchers concluded. “Additional studies in diverse Latino populations are required to identify genetic variation underlying these associations.”

 Disclosure: See the study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.