Epigenetics and the Environment in Airway Disease: Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis.

Epigenetics and the Environment in Airway Disease: Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1253:153-181 Authors: Long A, Bunning B, Sampath V, DeKruyff RH, Nadeau KC Abstract Asthma and rhinitis are complex, heterogeneous diseases characterized by chronic inflammation of the upper and lower airways. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a number of susceptible loci and candidate genes associated with the pathogenesis of asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), the risk-associated alleles account for only a very small percent of the genetic risk. In allergic airway and other complex diseases, it is thought that epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding microRNAs, caused by complex interactions between the underlying genome and the environment may account for some of this "missing heritability" and may explain the high degree of plasticity in immune responses. In this chapter, we will focus on the current knowledge of classical epigenetic modifications, DNA methylation and histone modifications, and their potential role in asthma and AR. In particular, we will review epigenetic variations associated with maternal airway disease, demographics, environment, and non-specific associations. The role of specific genetic haplotypes in environmentally induced epigenetic changes are also discussed. A major limitation of many of the current studies of asthma epigeneti...
Source: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - Category: Research Tags: Adv Exp Med Biol Source Type: research