Candidate genes did not have an impact on the risk of wheezing in children born preterm

Abstract

Aim

Our aim was to investigate whether risk factors, including selected genetic variants, appeared with the same frequency in preterm-born and term-born children with respiratory symptoms.

Methods

We conducted an observational study on a cohort at Copenhagen University Hospital Hillerød, Denmark, consisting of 63 preterm-born and 86 term-born children who were included at birth and followed to 6 years of age. Odd ratios (OR) and 95% CIs were calculated.

Results

Valid genotyping data were obtained from 135 children and 126 and 64 parents completed questionnaires at the 1-year and 6-year follows-ups, respectively. The C allele of rs3751972 was associated with an increased wheezing risk at 6 years of age in term-born children, but not in preterm-born children (OR 8.84, 95% CI 1.02–76.72, p = 0.05 versus OR 2.33, 95% CI 0.59–9.20, p = 0.23, respectively). At 1 year of age, preterm-born children with respiratory symptoms were three times as likely to have parents who smoked than those without such symptoms (65% and 21%, respectively, p = 0.005).

Conclusion

Genetic variants known to affect the risk of respiratory symptoms did not seem to affect the risk of wheezing in preterm children. Parental smoking was a significant risk factor for respiratory symptoms.