Grantee Research Project Results

The Epidemiology of Susceptibility to Airborne Particulates and Allergens to Asthma in African Americans

EPA Grant Number: R832139C001
Subproject: this is subproject number 001 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R832139
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for the Study of Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment
Center Director: Hansel, Nadia
Title: The Epidemiology of Susceptibility to Airborne Particulates and Allergens to Asthma in African Americans
Investigators: Diette, Greg
Institution: The Johns Hopkins University
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Project Period: November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2008 (Extended to October 31, 2010)
RFA: Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health

Objective:

The long-range goal of the epidemiologic study is to examine the genetic basis of asthma in African Americans with specific attention to genetic modifiers involved in the enhanced susceptibility of certain patients to particulate matter (PM) and allergens. Our strategy is to employ high-throughput genomic technologies to examine the patterns of gene expression to identified candidate genes and the genetic basis for polymorphisms in genes, which explain susceptibility to PM in an inner-city African American population with asthma.

The specific objectives are to: (1) obtain and prioritize candidate genes for susceptibility to airborne PM through gene expression profiling in human CD4+ T-lymphocytes; (2) identify polymorphisms in candidate genes associated with susceptibility to PM exposures in asthma and with asthma severity; and (3) identify polymorphisms in candidate genes associated with an interactive effect of cockroach allergen and PM₁₀ exposures in severe asthma.

An important secondary goal was to complete a case control study of home environments in inner-city children with and without asthma and the nested longitudinal followup of the asthmatic cases. The original goals and objectives of this study were to: (1) characterize and compare exposure to allergens and air pollutants among inner-city children with and without asthma; (2) in a subset of homes, characterize the within-home temporal variability in air pollution and allergen exposure; (3) estimate the occurrence of respiratory morbidity among inner-city children with asthma; (4) study environmental and hereditary determinants of childhood asthma; (5) assess independent and joint effects of exposure to indoor allergens and indoor air pollution on respiratory morbidity in children with asthma; (6) characterize current use of environmental control practices among inner-city children with asthma; (7) identify barriers through the use of guidelines on environmental control practices among primary care providers caring for inner-city children with asthma; (8) assess the differential impact of indoor and outdoor air pollution among asthmatic and nonasthmatic homes; and (9) understand the relative contribution of different structural, financial, and personal barriers to use of recommended environmental control practices for children with asthma. Once completed, the data needed to be cleaned, a database constructed, and outcome analyses begun.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 38 publications for this subproject | View all 117 publications for this center

Journal Articles:

Journal Articles have been submitted on this subproject: View all 38 journal articles for this subproject | View all 113 journal articles for this center

Supplemental Keywords:

childhood asthma, inner-city children, allergens, African Americans, particulate matter, PM, wheezing, children’s health,, RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, Air, PHYSICAL ASPECTS, HUMAN HEALTH, Health Risk Assessment, Physical Processes, particulate matter, Epidemiology, Allergens/Asthma, Health Effects, Genetics, asthma morbidity, air pollutant, asthma, asthma triggers, human exposure, long term exposure, respiratory, indoor-outdoor relationships, children's health, morbidity, airway variablity, allergens, children, epidemiological studies, exposure, minority children, PM, cockroaches, minorities, airborne pollutants, air pollution

Progress and Final Reports:

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R832139 Center for the Study of Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R832139C001 The Epidemiology of Susceptibility to Airborne Particulates and Allergens to Asthma in African Americans
R832139C002 A Randomized Controlled Trial of Behavior Changes in Home Exposure Control
R832139C003 Mechanisms of Particulate-Induced Allergic Asthma
R832139C004 Dendritic Cell Activation by Particulate Matter and Allergen

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.