CTNNA3 and SEMA3D: Promising loci for asthma exacerbation identified through multiple genome-wide association studies

  • Michael J. Mcgeachie
  • , Ann C. Wu
  • , Sze Man Tse
  • , George L. Clemmer
  • , Joanne Sordillo
  • , Blanca E. Himes
  • , Jessica Lasky-Su
  • , Robert P. Chase
  • , Fernando D. Martinez
  • , Peter Weeke
  • , Christian M. Shaffer
  • , Hua Xu
  • , Josh C. Denny
  • , Dan M. Roden
  • , Reynold A. Panettieri
  • , Benjamin A. Raby
  • , Scott T. Weiss
  • , Kelan G. Tantisira

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background Asthma exacerbations are a major cause of morbidity and medical cost. Objective The objective of this study was to identify genetic predictors of exacerbations in asthmatic subjects. Methods We performed a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of acute asthma exacerbation in 2 pediatric clinical trials: the Childhood Asthma Management Program (n = 581) and the Childhood Asthma Research and Education (n = 205) network. Acute asthma exacerbations were defined as treatment with a 5-day course of oral steroids. We obtained a replication cohort from Biobank of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (BioVU; n = 786), the Vanderbilt University electronic medical record-linked DNA biobank. We used CD4+ lymphocyte genome-wide mRNA expression profiling to identify associations of top single nucleotide polymorphisms with mRNA abundance of nearby genes. Results A locus in catenin (cadherin-associated protein), alpha 3 (CTNNA3), reached genome-wide significance (rs7915695, P = 2.19 × 10-8; mean exacerbations, 6.05 for minor alleles vs 3.71 for homozygous major alleles). Among the 4 top single nucleotide polymorphisms replicated in BioVU, rs993312 in Sema domain, immunoglobulin domain (Ig), short basic domain, secreted, (semaphorin) 3D (SEMA3D) was significant (P =.0083) and displayed stronger association among African Americans (P =.0004 in BioVU [mean exacerbations, 3.91 vs 1.53]; P =.0089 in the Childhood Asthma Management Program [mean exacerbations, 6.0 vs 3.25]). CTNNA3 variants did not replicate in BioVU. A regulatory variant in the CTNNA3 locus was associated with CTNNA3 mRNA expression in CD4+ cells from asthmatic patients (P =.00079). CTNNA3 appears to be active in the immune response, and SEMA3D has a plausible role in airway remodeling. We also provide a replication of a previous association of purinergic receptor P2X, ligand-gated ion channel, 7 (P2RX7), with asthma exacerbation. Conclusions We identified 2 loci associated with exacerbations through a genome-wide association study. CTNNA3 met genome-wide significance thresholds, and SEMA3D replicated in a clinical biobank database.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1503-1510
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume136
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2015

Keywords

  • Asthma
  • CTNNA3
  • SEMA3D
  • biobank
  • childhood asthma
  • exacerbation
  • expression quantitative trait locus
  • genome-wide association study

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

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