Clinical markers of asthma and IgE assessed in parents before conception predict asthma and hayfever in the offspring

Abstract

SummaryBackgroundMice models suggest epigenetic inheritance induced by parental allergic disease activity. However, we know little of how parental disease activity before conception influences offspring's asthma and allergy in humans.ObjectiveWe aimed to assess the associations of parental asthma severity, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and total and specific IgEs, measured before conception vs. after birth, with offspring asthma and hayfever.MethodsThe study included 4293 participants (mean age 34, 47% men) from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) with information on asthma symptom severity, BHR, total and specific IgEs from 1991 to 1993, and data on 9100 offspring born 1972–2012. Adjusted relative risk ratios (aRRR) for associations of parental clinical outcome with offspring allergic disease were estimated with multinomial logistic regressions.ResultsOffspring asthma with hayfever was more strongly associated with parental BHR and specific IgE measured before conception than after birth [BHR: aRRR = 2.96 (95% CI: 1.92, 4.57) and 1.40 (1.03, 1.91), respectively; specific IgEs: 3.08 (2.13, 4.45) and 1.83 (1.45, 2.31), respectively]. This was confirmed in a sensitivity analysis of a subgroup of offspring aged 11–22 years with information on parental disease activity both before and after birth.Conclusion & Clinical RelevanceParental BHR and specific IgE were associated with offspring asthma and hayfever, with the strongest associations observed with clinical assessment before conception as compared to after birth of the child. If the hypothesis is confirmed in other studies, parental disease activity assessed before conception may prove useful for identifying children at risk for developing asthma with hayfever.

Zoonotic helminth exposure and risk of allergic diseases: A study of two generations in Norway

“…Others have demonstrated maternal helminth exposure to influence offspring susceptibility to allergy, and there are mice models demonstrating that maternal helminth infection influences immunological characteristics in pups . With regard to differential risk outcome by gender, research focused on other exposures than helminths has found that parental pre‐conception exposure might influence disease risk in offspring differently through the maternal and paternal lines . The risk of allergy has been reported not only to be affected by the maternal or paternal line, but also to depend on the sex of the child .…”

“…43 With regard to differential risk outcome by gender, research focused on other exposures than helminths has found that parental pre-conception exposure might influence disease risk in offspring differently through the maternal and paternal lines. 44,45 The risk of allergy has been reported not only to be affected by the maternal or paternal line, but also to depend on the sex of the child. 44,46,47 In our study, parental anti-Toxocara IgG4 was measured years after the offspring were born.…”

“…44,45 The risk of allergy has been reported not only to be affected by the maternal or paternal line, but also to depend on the sex of the child. 44,46,47 In our study, parental anti-Toxocara IgG4 was measured years after the offspring were born. The half-life of IgG4 in general is approximately 21 days, 48 but Toxocara larvae may stay capsulated in tissues for many years in accidental hosts.…”

Environmental Impact on Health across Generations: Policy Meets Biology. A Review of Animal and Human Models

“…In the third study wave, parents reported on offspring allergies. Bertelsen and colleagues found stronger associations of offspring allergies with parental asthmatic and allergic disease assessed before conception as compared to after birth of the child [93]. This indicates that disease activity might induce changes that are transmissible to the next generation, possibly explained by epigenetic inheritance rather than by shared environment or genetics alone [94].…”

Inheritance and the sunshine vitamin

“…Bertelsen et al. have examined whether parental clinical markers of asthma and IgE predict the development of asthma and hayfever in their offspring using the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) . They found that offspring asthma with hay fever was more strongly associated with pre‐natal rather than post‐natal parental bronchial hyper‐responsiveness (adjusted relative risk ratio 2.96, 95% CI: 1.92‐4.57 and 1.40, 1.03‐1.91 respective) and specific IgE (3.08, 2.13‐4.45 and 1.83, 1.45‐2.31 respectively).…”