
Parental TB associated with offspring asthma and rhinitis
METHODS: We included 2,965 offspring born in 1985–2004 and registered in the Norwegian prescription database to 1,790 parents born after 1960 with a history of TB, and included in the Norwegian TB registry. Offspring asthma (n = 582) and rhinitis (n = 929) were defined based on diagnosis, type of medication and prescribed medication ≥1 year. Associations of parental TB <8 years, ≥8 years but before offspring´s birth year and after birth (reference category) with offspring asthma and rhinitis were analysed using logistic regression.
RESULTS: Asthma risk was higher in persons with parental TB in childhood (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.20–2.50) or later preconception (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.00–1.91) than in persons with parental TB after offspring´s birth; this was significant only in the maternal line (childhood: OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.13–3.37; later preconception: OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.08–2.80). Associations with rhinitis were not identified.
CONCLUSIONS: Parental childhood TB was associated with higher asthma risk in future offspring. We speculate that TB impacts maternal immunity and dysregulates the offspring´s type 2 immunity, and that TB-induced epigenetic reprograming of immune defences are transferred to the offspring.
Keywords: NCDs; infections; intergenerational; preconception
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 2: Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 3: Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy 4: Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway 5: Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden 6: Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Publication date: June 1, 2022
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