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Markers in Infants of Mothers With Asthma and Associations With Respiratory Outcomes
Carla Rebeca Da Silva Sena1,2,3,4, Gabriela Martins Costa Gomes2,3, Noëmi Künstle1,4
1University Children's Hospital Basel UKBB, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Insights
Cord blood protein levels differ in infants born to asthmatic mothers, impacting lung development. These protein differences are linked to infant lung function, hospitalization risk, and childhood asthma.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal programming
- Respiratory medicine
- Immunology
Background:
- Maternal asthma may affect fetal lung development via oxidative stress, inflammation, and extracellular matrix turnover.
- Cord blood protein profiles may serve as biomarkers for offspring respiratory health.
- Investigating these proteins can elucidate mechanisms linking maternal asthma to infant respiratory outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cord blood protein levels between infants of asthmatic and non-asthmatic mothers.
- To examine associations between these protein levels and infant lung function.
- To assess links to bronchiolitis hospitalization and childhood asthma development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 715 infants across two birth cohorts (Basel-Bern Infant Lung Development and Breathing for Life Trial).
- Employed Tobit regression and network analyses for protein level comparisons.
- Applied adjusted linear and logistic regression to analyze associations with postnatal outcomes.
Main Results:
- Infants of asthmatic mothers showed lower matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) levels, and higher p62 levels.
- p62 levels correlated inversely with minute ventilation; IFN-γ and MMP-9 inversely correlated with functional residual capacity.
- Lower MMP-9 levels were associated with reduced risk of bronchiolitis hospitalization and childhood asthma.
Conclusions:
- Distinct cord blood protein profiles are observed in offspring of asthmatic mothers.
- These proteins serve as potential biomarkers linking maternal asthma to infant respiratory health.
- Findings highlight specific proteins (MMP-9, IFN-γ, p62) as crucial in early-life respiratory development and disease risk.
Background:
In utero mechanisms related to oxidative stress response, inflammation, and extracellular matrix turnover may influence fetal lung development in the offspring of asthmatic mothers. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether levels of cord blood proteins differ between the offspring of asthmatic and nonasthmatic mothers. In addition, we aimed to examine if these proteins are associated with infant lung function, bronchiolitis hospitalization in infancy, and asthma at six years.
Methods:
We compared protein levels of infants (n = 715) from the Swiss Basel-Bern Infant Lung Development and the Australian Breathing for Life Trial birth cohorts using Tobit regression and network analyses. Using adjusted linear and logistic regression, we determined their association with postnatal infant lung function, bronchiolitis hospitalization in infancy, and asthma at six years.
Results:
Infants born to asthmatic mothers had lower levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9, β-coefficient [β] -0.67, 95% confidence interval [-1.07; -0.27] padj = 0.009) and Interferon gamma (IFN-γ, β -0.77 [-1.21; -0.32], padj = 0.009), and higher levels of p62 (β 1.15 [0.30; 2.00], padj = 0.030). p62 levels were inversely associated with minute ventilation (β -16.18 [-28.44; -3.91], padj = 0.032). Functional residual capacity values were inversely associated with both IFN-γ (β -1.26, [-2.41; -0.11], padj = 0.063) and MMP-9 levels (β -1.27, [-2.53; -0.01], padj = 0.063). MMP-9 levels were inversely associated with both the risk of bronchiolitis hospitalization (odds ratio 0.47, [0.29; 0.77], padj = 0.004) and the risk of asthma (aOR 0.53, 95% CI, 0.32-0.86, padj = 0.033).
Conclusions:
Protein levels differed between offspring of asthmatic and non-asthmatic mothers. These markers were associated with postnatal lung function, bronchiolitis hospitalization, and asthma.
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