Genetic risk factors for decreased bone mineral accretion in children with asthma receiving multiple oral corticosteroid bursts.

Background: Long-term intermittent oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in children with asthma leads to significant decreases in bone mineral accretion (BMA).

Objective: We aimed to identify genetic factors influencing OCS dose effects on BMA in children with asthma.

Methods: We first performed a gene-by-OCS interaction genome-wide association study (GWAS) of BMA in 489 white participants in the Childhood Asthma Management Program trial who took short-term oral prednisone bursts when they experienced acute asthma exacerbations.

Genetic predictors associated with improvement of asthma symptoms in response to inhaled corticosteroids.

Background: To date, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) response in asthmatic patients have focused primarily on lung function and exacerbations.

Objective: We hypothesized that GWAS analysis could identify novel genetic markers predicting a symptomatic response to ICSs.

Methods: We analyzed differences in asthma symptoms in response to ICSs in 124 white children from the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) trial using scores from diary cards.