7-1OAS Effect of dietary methyl donors on asthma and atopy is modified by MTHFR polymorphism

Friday, 16 October 2015: 11:00 - 11:15
Room R2 ABC (Floor 3) (Coex Convention Center)

Hye Lim Shin, MS , Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Seoul, South Korea

Yun-Jeong Lee, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

Joonil Kim, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

Song-I Yang, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, South Korea

So-Yeon Lee, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, South Korea

Young-Ho Jung, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Bundang CHA Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, South Korea

Sung-Ok Kwon, PhD , Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea

Eun Lee, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

Yean Jung Choi, PhD , Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Seoul, South Korea

Mi-Jin Kang, MS , Asan Institute for Life Science, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea

Ji-Won Kwon, MD , Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea

Hyung Young Kim, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, South Korea

Ju-Hee Seo, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

Byoung-Ju Kim, MD , Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH

Hyo-Bin Kim, MD , Department of Pediatrics, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

Ho-Jang Kwon, PhD , Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, South Korea

Se-Young Oh, PhD , Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea

Soo-Jong Hong, MD, PhD , Department of Pediatrics, Childhood Asthma Atopy Center, Environmental Health Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

Soo-Jong Hong, MD, PhD , Department of Pediatrics, Childhood Asthma Atopy Center, Environmental Health Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

Hyun-Ju Cho, MD , Asan Medical Center Seoul Korea, Seoul, South Korea

Young-Ho Kim, MD , Asthma/Allergy Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea

Background and objective

Recent data have shown that the prevalence of asthma and allergic disease continuously increase. Some diet can prevent asthma or allergic disease by epigenetic change, including DNA methylation. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dietary methyl donors (folate, vitamin B2, vitamin B6) and the development of asthma and allergic sensitization in children.

Methods

Children aged 7-13 years in a Korean elementary school were surveyed in 2006 as part of the first Children's Health and Environmental Research (CHEER) survey and 2,333 children were included in this study. Korean version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were done by their parents. The skin prick test was performed using 18 common allergens in Korea. Genotyping for MTHFR (rs1801133) polymorphism was performed by TaqMan assay.

Results

Dietary folate intake was a protective factor for wheezing symptoms in the past 12 months (aOR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53-0.91) and asthma diagnosis (aOR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.53-0.99) and vitamin B6 was also related to reduced risk of allergen sensitization (aOR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56-0.99). High intake of folate, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6 was a protective factor for allergen sensitization [(aOR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.25-0.93), (aOR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26-0.95) and (aOR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.21-0.76), respectively] and atopic wheezing symptoms in the past 12 months [(aOR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0,04-0.80), (aOR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0,07-1.01) and (aOR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0,07-0.99), respectively], especially in CT or TT genotype at nucleotide 677T MTHFR compared to those with low intake and CC at this position.  

 Conclusions

These results indicate that dietary methyl donors decrease the risk of asthma and atopy, which may be modified by MTHFR polymorphism.

 Funding

This study was supported by a grant of the Environmental Health Center and Children’s Health and Environmental Research funded by the Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea

Keywords

Asthma, Sensitization, Folate, Methyl donors, MTHFR, Polymorphism