TY - JOUR

T1 - Exploring the association between severe respiratory syncytial virus infection and asthma: a registry-based twin study

AU - Thomsen, Simon Francis

AU - van der Sluis, Sophie

AU - Stensballe, Lone G

AU - Posthuma, Danielle

AU - Skytthe, Axel

AU - Kyvik, Kirsten O

AU - Duffy, David L

AU - Backer, Vibeke

AU - Bisgaard, Hans

N1 - Keywords: Antigens, Viral; Asthma; Child; Child, Preschool; Denmark; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hospitalization; Humans; Incidence; Male; Models, Theoretical; Prognosis; Registries; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Twins Times Cited: 7ArticleEnglishThomsen, S. FBispebjerg Hosp, Dept Resp Med, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, DenmarkCited References Count: 26455TBAMER THORACIC SOC1740 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10019-4374 USANEW YORK

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - RATIONALE: Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is associated with asthma but the nature of this association is imperfectly understood. OBJECTIVES: To examine the nature of the association between severe RSV infection and asthma in a population-based sample of twins. METHODS: Data on hospitalization due to RSV infection was gathered for all twins born in Denmark between 1994 and 2000 (8,280 pairs) and linked to information on asthma obtained from hospital discharge registries and parent-completed questionnaires. Genetic variance components models and direction of causation models were fitted to the observed data. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: RSV hospitalization and asthma were positively associated (r = 0.43), and genetic determinants for the two disorders overlapped completely. Modeling the direction of causation between RSV hospitalization and asthma showed that a model in which asthma "causes" RSV hospitalization fitted the data significantly better (P = 0.39 for deterioration in model fit) than a model in which RSV hospitalization "causes" asthma (P < 0.001 for deterioration in model fit), even when sex, birth weight, and maternal smoking during pregnancy were accounted for. CONCLUSIONS: RSV infection that is severe enough to warrant hospitalization does not cause asthma but is an indicator of the genetic predisposition to asthma.

AB - RATIONALE: Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is associated with asthma but the nature of this association is imperfectly understood. OBJECTIVES: To examine the nature of the association between severe RSV infection and asthma in a population-based sample of twins. METHODS: Data on hospitalization due to RSV infection was gathered for all twins born in Denmark between 1994 and 2000 (8,280 pairs) and linked to information on asthma obtained from hospital discharge registries and parent-completed questionnaires. Genetic variance components models and direction of causation models were fitted to the observed data. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: RSV hospitalization and asthma were positively associated (r = 0.43), and genetic determinants for the two disorders overlapped completely. Modeling the direction of causation between RSV hospitalization and asthma showed that a model in which asthma "causes" RSV hospitalization fitted the data significantly better (P = 0.39 for deterioration in model fit) than a model in which RSV hospitalization "causes" asthma (P < 0.001 for deterioration in model fit), even when sex, birth weight, and maternal smoking during pregnancy were accounted for. CONCLUSIONS: RSV infection that is severe enough to warrant hospitalization does not cause asthma but is an indicator of the genetic predisposition to asthma.

U2 - 10.1164/rccm.200809-1471OC

DO - 10.1164/rccm.200809-1471OC

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19286626

VL - 179

SP - 1091

EP - 1097

JO - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

JF - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

SN - 1073-449X

IS - 12

ER -