Ambient air pollution, asthma drug response, and telomere length in African American youth.

Background: Telomere length (TL) can serve as a potential biomarker for conditions associated with chronic oxidative stress and inflammation, such as asthma. Air pollution can induce oxidative stress. Understanding the relationship between TL, asthma, and air pollution is important for identifying risk factors contributing to unhealthy aging in children.

genotype and concentrations of HDL and lipoprotein subclasses in African-American men.

To assess the association between the  Taq1B and I405V polymorphisms with levels of lipoprotein subclasses in African-American (AA) men with and without Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). AA men, over 30 years of age, with (n = 54) or without T2DM (n = 50), and not receiving lipid-lowering agents, underwent advanced lipid analysis and genotyping. In the total patient population Taq1B B2-allele carriers had significantly higher levels of large HDL subclasses (HDL-2b [p = 0.

Genome-wide association study of inhaled corticosteroid response in admixed children with asthma.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the most widely prescribed and effective medication to control asthma symptoms and exacerbations. However, many children still have asthma exacerbations despite treatment, particularly in admixed populations, such as Puerto Ricans and African Americans. A few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed in European and Asian populations, and they have demonstrated the importance of the genetic component in ICS response.

Integrative approach identifies corticosteroid response variant in diverse populations with asthma.

Background: Although inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) medication is considered the cornerstone treatment for patients with persistent asthma, few ICS pharmacogenomic studies have involved nonwhite populations.

Objective: We sought to identify genetic predictors of ICS response in multiple population groups with asthma.

Methods: The discovery group comprised African American participants from the Study of Asthma Phenotypes and Pharmacogenomic Interactions by Race-Ethnicity (SAPPHIRE) who underwent 6 weeks of monitored ICS therapy (n = 244).

Genetic Determinants of Telomere Length in African American Youth.

Telomere length (TL) is associated with numerous disease states and is affected by genetic and environmental factors. However, TL has been mostly studied in adult populations of European or Asian ancestry. These studies have identified 34 TL-associated genetic variants recently used as genetic proxies for TL.