Circulating CC16 and Asthma: A Population-based, Multicohort Study from Early Childhood through Adult Life

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Immunology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Club cell secretory protein (CC16) is an anti-inflammatory protein found in airways.
• Previous studies suggest CC16 deficiency is linked to lung function deficits.
• The precise role of CC16 in asthma pathogenesis remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal association between circulating CC16 levels and active asthma from childhood to adulthood.
• To determine if early childhood CC16 levels can predict the long-term clinical course of childhood asthma.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of three population-based birth cohorts (Tucson, Stockholm, Manchester) with extensive longitudinal data.
• Assessment of CC16 levels in relation to asthma diagnosis and symptom frequency across different age groups.
• Examination of CC16's association with asthma persistence in children diagnosed with asthma.

Main Results:

• CC16 deficits were consistently associated with an increased risk of asthma across all cohorts.
• The association was stronger for asthma with frequent symptoms and independent of lung function.
• Children with the lowest CC16 levels showed a significantly higher risk of persistent asthma symptoms into adulthood.

Conclusions:

• Lower circulating CC16 levels are linked to the presence and persistence of frequent asthma symptoms from childhood to mid-adulthood.
• CC16 may play a protective role in asthma.
• CC16 levels could potentially be used for asthma risk stratification.