Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins

SF Thomsen; Charlotte Suppli Ulrik; KO Kyvik; JB Hjelmborg; LR Skadhauge; I Steffensen; V Backer

Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins

SF Thomsen, Charlotte Suppli Ulrik, KO Kyvik, JB Hjelmborg, LR Skadhauge, I Steffensen, V Backer

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is putatively the result both of genetic and environmental causes. We estimated the significance and magnitude of genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins. METHODS: From the birth cohorts 1953-82 of The Danish Twin Registry 11,750 twin pairs were identified through a nationwide questionnaire survey. Subjects were regarded hay fever cases when responding affirmatively to the question 'Do you have, or have you ever had hay fever?' Latent factor models of genetic and environmental effects were fitted to the observed data using maximum likelihood methods. RESULTS: The overall cumulative prevalence of hay fever was 12.6%. Identical twins were significantly more likely to be concordant for hay fever than were fraternal twins (P<0.001). Additive genetic effects accounted for 71% and non-shared environmental effects accounted for 29% of the individual susceptibility to hay fever. The same genes contributed to the susceptibility to hay fever both in males and in females. In families with asthma, the susceptibility to develop hay fever was, in addition to genes, to a great extent ascribable to family environment, whereas the aetiology of 'sporadic' hay fever was mainly genetic. CONCLUSIONS: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is attributable to major genetic influences. However, effects of family environment and upbringing are also of importance in families where asthma is present. These results indicate that different sub-forms of hay fever may have different aetiologies.

Original language	English
Journal	Respiratory Medicine
Volume	100
Issue number	12
Pages (from-to)	2177-82
ISSN	0954-6111
Publication status	Published - 2006

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Thomsen, SF., Ulrik, C. S., Kyvik, KO., Hjelmborg, JB., Skadhauge, LR., Steffensen, I., & Backer, V. (2006). Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins. Respiratory Medicine, 100(12), 2177-82. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WWS-4JVT1MD-2&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2006&_alid=522352459&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=7138&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000034378&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=641710&md5=24f13dcb2c6422d24cdae50666bc2a00

Thomsen, SF, Ulrik, CS, Kyvik, KO, Hjelmborg, JB, Skadhauge, LR, Steffensen, I & Backer, V 2006, 'Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins', Respiratory Medicine, vol. 100, no. 12, pp. 2177-82. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WWS-4JVT1MD-2&_coverDate=12%2F31%2F2006&_alid=522352459&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=7138&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000034378&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=641710&md5=24f13dcb2c6422d24cdae50666bc2a00>

@article{7bd94a79cee14594bf9909a7707ab2a5,

title = "Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is putatively the result both of genetic and environmental causes. We estimated the significance and magnitude of genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins. METHODS: From the birth cohorts 1953-82 of The Danish Twin Registry 11,750 twin pairs were identified through a nationwide questionnaire survey. Subjects were regarded hay fever cases when responding affirmatively to the question 'Do you have, or have you ever had hay fever?' Latent factor models of genetic and environmental effects were fitted to the observed data using maximum likelihood methods. RESULTS: The overall cumulative prevalence of hay fever was 12.6%. Identical twins were significantly more likely to be concordant for hay fever than were fraternal twins (P<0.001). Additive genetic effects accounted for 71% and non-shared environmental effects accounted for 29% of the individual susceptibility to hay fever. The same genes contributed to the susceptibility to hay fever both in males and in females. In families with asthma, the susceptibility to develop hay fever was, in addition to genes, to a great extent ascribable to family environment, whereas the aetiology of 'sporadic' hay fever was mainly genetic. CONCLUSIONS: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is attributable to major genetic influences. However, effects of family environment and upbringing are also of importance in families where asthma is present. These results indicate that different sub-forms of hay fever may have different aetiologies.",

author = "SF Thomsen and Ulrik, {Charlotte Suppli} and KO Kyvik and JB Hjelmborg and LR Skadhauge and I Steffensen and V Backer",

year = "2006",

language = "English",

volume = "100",

pages = "2177--82",

journal = "Respiratory Medicine",

issn = "0954-6111",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "12",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins

AU - Thomsen, SF

AU - Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli

AU - Kyvik, KO

AU - Hjelmborg, JB

AU - Skadhauge, LR

AU - Steffensen, I

AU - Backer, V

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - BACKGROUND: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is putatively the result both of genetic and environmental causes. We estimated the significance and magnitude of genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins. METHODS: From the birth cohorts 1953-82 of The Danish Twin Registry 11,750 twin pairs were identified through a nationwide questionnaire survey. Subjects were regarded hay fever cases when responding affirmatively to the question 'Do you have, or have you ever had hay fever?' Latent factor models of genetic and environmental effects were fitted to the observed data using maximum likelihood methods. RESULTS: The overall cumulative prevalence of hay fever was 12.6%. Identical twins were significantly more likely to be concordant for hay fever than were fraternal twins (P<0.001). Additive genetic effects accounted for 71% and non-shared environmental effects accounted for 29% of the individual susceptibility to hay fever. The same genes contributed to the susceptibility to hay fever both in males and in females. In families with asthma, the susceptibility to develop hay fever was, in addition to genes, to a great extent ascribable to family environment, whereas the aetiology of 'sporadic' hay fever was mainly genetic. CONCLUSIONS: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is attributable to major genetic influences. However, effects of family environment and upbringing are also of importance in families where asthma is present. These results indicate that different sub-forms of hay fever may have different aetiologies.

AB - BACKGROUND: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is putatively the result both of genetic and environmental causes. We estimated the significance and magnitude of genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins. METHODS: From the birth cohorts 1953-82 of The Danish Twin Registry 11,750 twin pairs were identified through a nationwide questionnaire survey. Subjects were regarded hay fever cases when responding affirmatively to the question 'Do you have, or have you ever had hay fever?' Latent factor models of genetic and environmental effects were fitted to the observed data using maximum likelihood methods. RESULTS: The overall cumulative prevalence of hay fever was 12.6%. Identical twins were significantly more likely to be concordant for hay fever than were fraternal twins (P<0.001). Additive genetic effects accounted for 71% and non-shared environmental effects accounted for 29% of the individual susceptibility to hay fever. The same genes contributed to the susceptibility to hay fever both in males and in females. In families with asthma, the susceptibility to develop hay fever was, in addition to genes, to a great extent ascribable to family environment, whereas the aetiology of 'sporadic' hay fever was mainly genetic. CONCLUSIONS: The susceptibility to develop hay fever is attributable to major genetic influences. However, effects of family environment and upbringing are also of importance in families where asthma is present. These results indicate that different sub-forms of hay fever may have different aetiologies.

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0954-6111

VL - 100

SP - 2177

EP - 2182

JO - Respiratory Medicine

JF - Respiratory Medicine

IS - 12

ER -

Genetic and environmental contributions to hay fever among young adult twins

Abstract

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