Stress, Environment, and Genetics in Urban Children With Asthma

February 2, 2016 updated by: Rosalind Jo Wright M.D.,M.P.H., Brigham and Women's Hospital

Stress, Environment, and Genetics in Urban Asthma

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the multiple mechanisms through which stress, physical environment, and genetic predisposition contribute to asthma in urban children.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

BACKGROUND:

The study design builds on the ACCESS Study, a prospective pregnancy cohort study begun in 2003 of a cohort from birth to age four. The present study includes two new aims regarding the interaction of stress and genetic or environmental variables, reflecting a more comprehensive conceptualization of the multiple mechanisms by which stress can contribute to asthma. In addition, the current study proposes to follow the cohort until the age of three.

DESIGN NARRATIVE:

The study examines the role of psychosocial stressors in a systems biology framework considering multiple biologic pathways by which stress can contribute to asthma. The investigators will not only study the independent effect of stress on asthma/wheeze phenotypes in early childhood but also will consider stress as a modifier of physical environmental factors (allergens, cigarette smoking, and diesel-related air pollutants) and genetic predisposition on asthma risk. They will determine the independent effect of maternal stress (both prenatal and postnatal) on early childhood asthma phenotypes. They further hypothesize that multi-life stressors prevalent in disadvantaged populations can cumulatively influence immune system development and airway inflammation in early life, thus making the populations more susceptible to other environmental factors and genetic risk factors explaining, in part, observed asthma disparities associated with SES and race/ethnicity. They will take a multi-level approach, measuring both individual-level stress (negative life events, perceived stress, pregnancy anxiety) and community-level stress [neighborhood disadvantage (e.g., percent of subjects living in poverty, percent unemployed), diminished social capital, and high crime/violence rates]. They will also assess the influence of stress on the infant hormonal stress response and on T-helper cell differentiation as reflected in cytokine profiles and IgE expression (a topic or pro inflammatory phenotype). Additional physical environmental (indoor allergens, diesel-related air pollutants, tobacco smoke) and genetic factors will be assessed given their influence on the immune response and expression of early childhood asthma/wheeze. This interdisciplinary approach is unique because researchers are considering the context in which physical exposures and host susceptibility occur, analyzing their multiplicative joint effects and considering multiple biologic pathways, as such it is consistent with the NIH roadmap objectives.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

959

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
        • Brigham & Women's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Pregnant women and their children followed over first 5 years.

Description

Inclusion criteria:

Mothers aged 18 years or more at time of enrollment and speak English or Spanish.

Exclusion criteria: None

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Rosalind Wright, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

September 1, 2005

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 21, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 21, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

December 23, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

February 3, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 2, 2016

Last Verified

February 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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