Plasticity of Individual Lung Function States from Childhood to Adulthood

Gang Wang, Jenny Hallberg, Rosa Faner, Hans-Jacob Koefoed, Simon Kebede Merid, Susanna Klevebro, Sophia Björkander, Olena Gruzieva, Göran Pershagen, Marianne van Hage, Stefano Guerra, Matteo Bottai, Antonios Georgelis, Ulrike Gehring, Anna Bergström, Judith M Vonk, Inger Kull, Gerard H Koppelman, Alvar Agusti, Erik Melén*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

RATIONALE: Recent evidence highlights the importance of optimal lung development during childhood for health throughout life.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the plasticity of individual lung function states during childhood.

METHODS: Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 z-scores determined at age 8, 16 and 24 years in the Swedish population-based birth cohort BAMSE (N=3,069) were used. An unbiased, data-driven dependent mixture model was applied to explore lung function states and individual state chains. Lung function catch-up was defined as participants moving from low/very low states to normal/high/very high states, and growth failure as moving from normal/high/very high states to low/very low states. At 24 years, we compared respiratory symptoms, small airway function (multiple-breath washout), and circulating inflammatory protein levels, by using proteomics, across states. Models were replicated in the independent Dutch population-based PIAMA cohort.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Five lung function states were identified in BAMSE. Lung function catch-up and growth failure were observed in 74 (14.5%) BAMSE participants with low/very low states and 36 (2.4%) participants with normal/high/very high states, respectively. The occurrence of catch-up and growth failure was replicated in PIAMA. Early-life risk factors were cumulatively associated with the very low state, as well as with catch-up (inverse association) and growth failure. The very low state as well as growth failure were associated with respiratory symptoms, airflow limitation, and small airway dysfunction at adulthood. Proteomics identified Interleukin-6 and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 as potential biomarkers of impaired lung function development.

CONCLUSIONS: Individual lung function states during childhood are plastic, including catch-up and growth failure.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)406-415
Number of pages10
JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Volume207
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Nov 2022

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