title: Early origins of asthma (and allergy).
abstract: Asthma is the most common chronic disease starting in childhood and persisting into adulthood in many cases. During childhood, different forms of asthma and wheezing disorders exist that can be discriminated by the mechanisms they are caused by. Specific genetic constellations and exposure against environmental factors during early childhood and in utero play a decisive role in the early development of the disease. Epigenetic mechanisms which are master regulators of gene transcription and thus govern the accessibility and use of genome information, have recently been identified as a "third power" determining many features in the early development of asthma and allergy.
authors: Department of Pediatric Pneumology and Allergy, University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), Campus St. Hedwig, Steinmetzstr. 1-3, 93049, Regensburg, Germany. michael.kabesch@ukr.de.
authors: Michael
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0697-1871
authors: M
authors: Kabesch
keywords: Asthma; Epigenetics; Gene by environment; Interaction; Wheezing