Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:10:09.087Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Heritability of Lung Function: A Twin Study Among Never-Smoking Elderly Women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Maria Hukkinen ,
Jaakko Kaprio ,
Ulla Broms ,
Anne Viljanen ,
Daniel Kotz ,
Taina Rantanen  and
Tellervo Korhonen
Maria Hukkinen*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. maria.hukkinen@helsinki.fi
Jaakko Kaprio
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Ulla Broms
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Anne Viljanen
Affiliation:
The Gerontology Research Center, Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Daniel Kotz
Affiliation:
Department of General Practice, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, the Netherlands.
Taina Rantanen
Affiliation:
The Gerontology Research Center, Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Tellervo Korhonen
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
*
*ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Maria Hukkinen, Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Most studies on lung function heritability have been conducted in smokers and non-smokers using cross-sectional study design. Smoking patterns may, however, confound the contribution of genetic factors. We investigated heritability of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio longitudinally, excluding the effects of smoking. A sample of never smoking female twins (n = 374), aged 63–76 at baseline, answered health questionnaires and attended spirometry in years 2000 and 2003. Bivariate structural equation modeling, restricted to adequate spirometry performances (baseline n = 339, follow-up n = 252), was used to estimate genetic and environmental influences on consecutive measurements of FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC. The best-fitting models included additive genetic and non-shared environmental effects. Heritability estimates of 32% and 36% for FEV1, 41% and 37% for FVC, while 46% and 16% for FEV1/FVC were found at baseline and at follow-up. Genetic correlation between FEV1 and FEV1/FVC heritability estimates approached unity, whereas correlation between FVC estimates was 0.80. Environmental correlations were 0.69 for FEV1, 0.62 for FVC, and 0.07 for FEV1/FVC. In never smokers, additive genetic and non-shared environmental effects explain the inter-individual variations in FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC. One third of the variation in FEV1 and FVC is explained by genetic and two thirds by environmental effects. Between 2000 and 2003, environmental effects on FEV1/FVC changed, and the proportion of variance explained by environmental effects increased remarkably. Genetic effects on FEV1 and FEV1/FVC are common to consecutive measurements, whereas at follow-up, new genetic factors explained 14% of the observed variance in FVC.

Keywords

heritabilitylung functiontwin study
Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 14 , Issue 5 , 01 October 2011 , pp. 401 - 407
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011