Multi-Ancestry Genome-wide Association Analyses Identify Shared and Specific Genetic Architecture in Mild and Moderate-to-Severe Asthma

The study examined the genetic basis of mild and moderate-to-severe asthma in adult participants using genome-wide association analyses. The research included 14,372 patients with mild asthma, 7,096 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma, and 28,816 control subjects without asthma from various ethnic groups. Researchers found that both forms of asthma share genetic variants in regions including IL1RL1, IKZF3, and other genes. Mild asthma was characterized by broader immune-related signals and T-cell differentiation processes. Moderate-to-severe asthma showed distinct genetic features including genes TSLP and CAMK4, which are associated with innate inflammation and steroid resistance. The results indicate that both forms of asthma have partially shared and partially distinct genetic mechanisms.