Nasal Epithelial Gene Expression IDs Asthma Endotypes in Children

Nasal transcriptomic profiles consistent with T2-high, T17-high, and T2-low/T17-low endotypes occurred in similar proportions across three studies

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Nasal epithelial gene expression can be used to characterize asthma endotypes and reveals that most participants from three studies of youths with asthma have nasal transcriptomic profiles with low T2 expression, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Molin Yue, from the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues examined asthma endotypes in youths aged 6 to 20 years by examining the distribution and characteristics of transcriptomic profiles in nasal epithelium. Samples were included from three studies: Stress and Treatment Response in Puerto Rican and African American Children with Asthma (156 youths); Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans (237 youths); and Vitamin D Kids Asthma (66 youths).

The researchers identified three transcriptomic profiles: high T2 expression, high T17 expression, and low expression in both pathways (T2^HIGH, T17^HIGH, T2^LOW/T17^LOW). Across studies, T2^HIGH, T17^HIGH, T2^LOW/T17^LOW were seen in 23 to 29 percent, 35 to 47 percent, and 30 to 38 percent of participants, respectively. The median total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and blood eosinophils were higher for the T2^HIGH profile than for the T2^LOW profile in each study. At least 50 percent of participants in all profiles had one or more positive allergen-specific IgE. A total of 3,516 and 2,494 differentially expressed genes were seen for the T2^HIGH and T17^HIGH profiles, respectively, in a differential meta-analysis. The T17^HIGH and T2^HIGH profiles were associated with interleukin 17 and neutrophil signaling pathways and interleukin 13 signaling pathways, respectively.

“This study showed that T2-low asthma endotypes (including T17^HIGH and T2^LOW/T17^LOW transcriptomic profiles) were more prevalent than the T2^HIGH profile in three studies of predominantly racially and ethnically minoritized youths with asthma,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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