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Polygenic risk scores identify heterogeneity in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

  • Matthew Moll
  • , Joanne E. Sordillo
  • , Auyon J. Ghosh
  • , Lystra P. Hayden
  • , Gregory McDermott
  • , Michael J. McGeachie
  • , Amber Dahlin
  • , Anshul Tiwari
  • , Monica G. Manmadkar
  • , Eric D. Abston
  • , Chandan Pavuluri
  • , Aabida Saferali
  • , Sofina Begum
  • , John P. Ziniti
  • , Amund Gulsvik
  • , Per S. Bakke
  • , Hugues Aschard
  • , Carlos Iribarren
  • , Craig P. Hersh
  • , Jeffrey A. Sparks
  • Brian D. Hobbs, Jessica A. Lasky-Su, Edwin K. Silverman, Scott T. Weiss, Ann Chen Wu, Michael H. Cho
  • Harvard University
  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • University of Bergen
  • Université Paris Cité
  • Kaiser Permanente

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have distinct and overlapping genetic and clinical features. Objective: We sought to test the hypothesis that polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for asthma (PRSAsthma) and spirometry (FEV1 and FEV1/forced vital capacity; PRSspiro) would demonstrate differential associations with asthma, COPD, and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO). Methods: We developed and tested 2 asthma PRSs and applied the higher performing PRSAsthma and a previously published PRSspiro to research (Genetic Epidemiology of COPD study and Childhood Asthma Management Program, with spirometry) and electronic health record–based (Mass General Brigham Biobank and Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging [GERA]) studies. We assessed the association of PRSs with COPD and asthma using modified random-effects and binary-effects meta-analyses, and ACO and asthma exacerbations in specific cohorts. Models were adjusted for confounders and genetic ancestry. Results: In meta-analyses of 102,477 participants, the PRSAsthma (odds ratio [OR] per SD, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.14-1.19]) and PRSspiro (OR per SD, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.17-1.22]) both predicted asthma, whereas the PRSspiro predicted COPD (OR per SD, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.21-1.30]). However, results differed by cohort. The PRSspiro was not associated with COPD in GERA and Mass General Brigham Biobank. In the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD study, the PRSAsthma (OR per SD: Whites, 1.3; African Americans, 1.2) and PRSspiro (OR per SD: Whites, 2.2; African Americans, 1.6) were both associated with ACO. In GERA, the PRSAsthma was associated with asthma exacerbations (OR, 1.18) in Whites; the PRSspiro was associated with asthma exacerbations in White, LatinX, and East Asian participants. Conclusions: PRSs for asthma and spirometry are both associated with ACO and asthma exacerbations. Genetic prediction performance differs in research versus electronic health record–based cohorts.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1423-1432
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume152
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2023

Keywords

  • Asthma
  • asthma-COPD overlap
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • heterogeneity
  • polygenic risk scores

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