Genetics of different asthma phenotypes

The underlying mechanisms of asthma are only partly understood. Asthma is a complex disease with several different phenotypes. The question is if these phenotypes are all part of one disease or if they are separate disease entities. We aimed to unravel the genetic contribution to different phenotypes of asthma, such as the severity of hyperresponsiveness (increased susceptibility to inhaled substances with airway constriction as a result) and the response of hyperresponsiveness to inhaled corticosteroids as well as remission of asthma. We identified several new genes that are associated to these phenotypes of asthma, but also to the development of asthma. Furthermore, childhood predictors for asthma remission later in adulthood were investigated and identified.