title: Genetics of asthma susceptibility and severity.
abstract: This article summarizes major findings in genome-wide studies of asthma susceptibility and severity. Two large meta-analyses identified four chromosomal regions which were consistently associated with development of asthma. Genes that are associated with asthma subphenotypes such as lung function, biomarker levels, and asthma therapeutic responses can provide insight into mechanisms of asthma severity and disease progression. Future genetic studies will incorporate sequencing in comprehensively phenotyped asthmatics to lead to the development of personalized therapy.
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Slager
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Xingnan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dirkje S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Postma
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: Eugene R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Bleecker
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D010641:Phenotype; D012720:Severity of Illness Index