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Sex differences in heritability of sensitization to Blomia tropicalis in asthma using regression of offspring on midparent (ROMP) methods

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Abstract

A genetic basis for asthma- and atopy-related quantitative traits, such as allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, has been suggested by the observed familial aggregation of these traits in temperate climates. Less information is available for tropical climates, where different allergens may predominate. Sensitivity to the mite Blomia tropicalis is related to asthma in tropical climates, but heritability of B. tropicalis sensitivity and the impact of age, sex, and other environmental covariates on heritability have not been widely explored. Total and specific IgE levels were measured by immunochemiluminescent assay in 481 members of 29 Barbadian families (comprised of 340 parent-offspring trios or pairs) ascertained through two asthmatic siblings. Trait heritability was estimated using regression of offspring on mid-parent (ROMP) and pairwise correlation analysis of unadjusted IgE levels and on residual values after adjustment for covariates. Heritability of IgE levels to the major antigen of B. tropicalis (Blo t M) estimated by ROMP in 180 complete parent-offspring trios was 0.56. Heritability was consistently greater for male offspring than for female offspring. Similar sex-specific patterns were observed for specific IgE to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and total IgE levels and were relatively unaffected by adjustment for covariates. Pairwise correlational analyses of specific and total IgE levels showed similar results. Moderate heritability of Blo t M IgE levels was detected in these Barbadian families and was greater for sons than daughters. Adjustment for covariates had minimal impact. This suggests that future investigations of genetic determinants of IgE levels should include approaches that allow for potential sex differences in their expression.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the families in Barbados for their generous participation in this study; the physicians and staff of the Black Rock, Sir Winston Scott, Randal Phillips, Maurice Byer, Six Cross Roads, and St. John polyclinics and the Accident and Emergency Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital; the staff of the Leptospira Laboratory, Barbados, for their technical support; and the Ministry of Health, Barbados, for permission to conduct this study. We are especially grateful to Maria Stockton for assistance with the fieldwork in Barbados, and for technical support with the Barbados data by Rasika A. Mathias, Daniel R. Breazeale, Xielun Xue, Liu Xin, John Neely, Dana Mulkern and Suzen Moeller. Dr. Barnes received support in this work from NIH Grant 1 R01 AI20059 and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Some of the results of this paper were obtained using the program package S.A.G.E., which is supported by a US Public Health Service Resource Grant (1 P41 RR03655) from the National Center for Research Resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Heart, Lung,and Blood Institute, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Rm. 8160, Bethesda, MD 20892-7934, USA

    Teri A. Manolio

  2. Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Kathleen C. Barnes

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Terri H. Beaty

  4. Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia, Atlanta, USA

    Paul N. Levett

  5. School of Clinical Medicine and Research, University of the West Indies, Barbados

    Raana P. Naidu

  6. Inherited Disease Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Alexander F. Wilson

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  1. Teri A. Manolio
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  2. Kathleen C. Barnes
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Correspondence to Teri A. Manolio.

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Manolio, T.A., Barnes, K.C., Beaty, T.H. et al. Sex differences in heritability of sensitization to Blomia tropicalis in asthma using regression of offspring on midparent (ROMP) methods. Hum Genet 113, 437–446 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-003-1005-6

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