Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

We examined common variation in asthma risk by conducting a meta-analysis of worldwide asthma genome-wide association studies (23,948 asthma cases, 118,538 controls) of individuals from ethnically diverse populations. We identified five new asthma loci, found two new associations at two known asthma loci, established asthma associations at two loci previously implicated in the comorbidity of asthma plus hay fever, and confirmed nine known loci. Investigation of pleiotropy showed large overlaps in genetic variants with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The enrichment in enhancer marks at asthma risk loci, especially in immune cells, suggested a major role of these loci in the regulation of immunologically related mechanisms.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/s41588-017-0014-7

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Genet

Publication Date

01/2018

Volume

50

Pages

42 - 53

Keywords

Alleles, Asthma, Enhancer Elements, Genetic, Epigenesis, Genetic, Genetic Loci, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Histone Code, Humans, Leukocytes, Phenotype, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal, Risk