Gene and environmental influences on childhood asthma: STELAR (Study Team for Early Life Asthma Research) collaboration

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and the number of children suffering from asthma has increased dramatically over the past 30 years. We do not fully understand what aspects of changing life style have caused this increase, but many things such as diet, immunizations and smoke exposure have been implicated. We have created a network of researchers from Aberdeen, Ashford, Bristol, Isle of White and Manchester and we have studied several thousand children from their birth and measured lots of factors in the environment (e.g. collecting dust form the home, recording dietary intake etc). Using questionnaires and lung function and allergy testing we have a clear description of which children have and have not got asthma and allergies. In each of the centres the study has used slightly different ways of measuring things. In this research project we will review the children in Manchester, Aberdeen and Ashford at age 10 -12 years and measure things in the same way. By working together as a research network we will be able to reproduce the findings of one cohort in another where similar measurements have been taken, making the research findings much stronger and more reliable. We are also collecting DNA from the study children and so in the future will be able to investigate how the genes and environment interact to cause disease. Understanding the causes of asthma will allow us to identify strategies to prevent asthma in susceptible children, and may improve treatment for asthma sufferers into adulthood.