Volume 132, Issue 7 pp. 515-525
Original Article
Open Access

ST2 and IL-33 polymorphisms and the development of childhood asthma: a prospective birth cohort study in Finnish children

Johanna T. Teräsjärvi

Johanna T. Teräsjärvi

Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Infections and Immunity, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

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Laura Toivonen

Laura Toivonen

Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland

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Jussi Mertsola

Jussi Mertsola

Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland

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Ville Peltola

Ville Peltola

Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland

InFLAMES Research Flagship Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

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Qiushui He

Corresponding Author

Qiushui He

Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Infections and Immunity, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

InFLAMES Research Flagship Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Qiushui He, Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Infections and Immunity, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, Turku 20520, Finland. e-mail: [email protected]

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First published: 02 April 2024

Abstract

The ST2/IL-33 signaling pathway has an important role in the host inflammatory response. Here we aimed to study the association of ST2 and IL-33 polymorphisms with serum soluble (s) ST2 and IL-33 concentrations in healthy Finnish children and, in addition, their association with childhood asthma. In total, 146 children were followed from birth to the age 7 years for the development of asthma. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ST2 and IL-33 were determined, and associations of the SNP variants with serum levels of sST2 and IL-33 at age of 13 months and with recurrent wheezing and childhood asthma at 7 years of age were analyzed. Children with ST2 rs1041973 AC/AA genotypes had significantly lower level of serum sST2 (2453 pg/mL; IQR 2265) than those with CC genotype (5437 pg/mL; IQR 2575; p = < 0.0001). Similar difference was also observed with ST2 rs13408661. No differences were observed between subjects with studied IL-33 SNPs. Children who carried genetic variants of ST2 rs1041973 or rs13408661 seemed to have a higher risk of asthma. In contrast, children who carried genetic variants of IL-33 rs12551268 were less often diagnosed with asthma. Even though these SNPs seemed to associate with asthma, the differences were not statistically significant.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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