title: Does epigenetics play a role in human asthma?
abstract: Asthma and other allergic diseases are among the most prevalent chronic non-communicable diseases of childhood. According to the World Health Organization, asthma affects >7.0 million children under 18 in the United States, with an economic burden that is estimated to exceed that of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined. Despite much research, the natural history of asthma and its pathogenesis are still in many ways elusive. This review discusses our current understanding of the role epigenetic processes play in asthma pathogenesis, focusing on genome-wide, population-based studies.
authors.affiliation: Arizona Respiratory Center, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and Arizona Center for the Biology of Complex Diseases (ABCD), University of Arizona, The BIO5 Institute, Rm. 339, 1657 E. Helen Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. Electronic address: donata@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vercelli
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: Allergy; Birth cohort; Childhood asthma; DNA methylation; Epigenetics