哮喘联盟

摘要
   综述目的：表观遗传学机制能改变表现型而不改变遗传编码。近几年，表观遗传学获得了很大的发展，未来有望开发出基于表观遗传学的治疗和预防措施。由于遗传因素和环境因素不能独立解释哮喘的病因，因此哮喘的表观遗传学相关性越来越受到关注。
   近期发现：近期的研究结果显示，环境和潜在的遗传序列变异影响DNA的甲基化，从而调节不同哮喘表现型的风险。 特别是，DNA甲基化可作为诸多早期发育暴露的存档文件，调节与遗传变异相关的风险。
   总结：目前的哮喘治疗可以控制哮喘症状，但不能调节其自然史。表观遗传学机制和新的解释模型提供了迅速发展的手段，明显提升我们对哮喘发生和进展的了解。基于表观遗传学，我们期望尽快研究出重要信息，为当前哮喘治疗提供新的治疗策略，并最终预防未来哮喘的发生。

(刘国梁 审校)
CurrOpinAllergyClinImmunol.2013Feb;13(1):63-9.doi:10.1097/ACI.0b013e32835ad0e7.
 

Epigenetic mechanisms and models in the origins of asthma.

Karmaus W, Ziyab AH, Everson T, Holloway JW.

Source
aDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA bAcademic Units of Clinical and Experimental Sciences cHuman Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.

Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Epigenetic mechanisms have the ability to alter the phenotype without changing the genetic code. The science of epigenetics has grown considerably in recent years, and future epigenetically based treatments or prevention strategies are likely. Epigenetic associations with asthma have received growing interest because genetic and environmental factors have been unable to independently explain the cause of asthma.
RECENT FINDINGS: Recent findings suggest that both the environment and underlying genetic sequence variation influence DNA methylation, which in turn seems to modify the risk conferred by genetic variants for various asthma phenotypes. In particular, DNA methylation may act as an archive of a variety of early developmental exposures, which then can modify the risk related to genetic variants.
SUMMARY: Current asthma treatments may control the symptoms of asthma but do not modify its natural history. Epigenetic mechanisms and novel explanatory models provide burgeoning approaches to significantly increase our understanding of the initiation and progression of asthma. Due to the inheritance of epigenetics, we anticipate a rapid emergence of critical information that will provide novel treatment strategies for asthma in the current generation and ultimately the prevention of asthma in future generations.

CurrOpinAllergyClinImmunol.2013Feb;13(1):63-9.doi:10.1097/ACI.0b013e32835ad0e7.