Isle of Wight Birth Cohort 34 Follow-Up Study

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ASTHMA, ALLERGIC DISEASES AND LUNG FUNCTION - 34 YEAR ASSESSMENT OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT BIRTH COHORT

  • IRAS ID

    314993

  • Contact name

    Syed Hasan Arshad

  • Contact email

    sha@soton.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Isle of Wight NHS Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    4 years, 11 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    The Isle of Wight birth cohort (IOWBC) was recruited in 1989, when all children born over a 14 month period (January 1989 to February 1990) in the Isle of Wight were recruited into the study. The IOWBC is the oldest birth cohort in Europe with a focus on asthma and allergy and the second oldest in the world. Participants have been extensively phenotyped for asthma, allergy and related features at 1, 2, 4, 10 18 and 26 years of age.
    Environmental risk factors information has been collected for pre-natal exposures and at all assessments since birth using detailed questionnaires. Further objective assessments included skin prick testing at 4, 10, 18 and 26 years, total and specific IgE, spirometry and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) at 10, 18 and 26 years. In subgroups additional procedures were performed such as sputum induction and processing at 10 and 18 years, exhaled nitric oxide measurement at 18 and 26 years and bronchial biopsy and airway sampling at 21 years. Blood samples and/or saliva were obtained for genome-wide genotyping. Epigenetic analysis was performed using blood spots on Guthrie cards at 7 days, and blood samples at 10, 18 and 26 years. Thus, a wealth of information is available regarding lung function, asthma and allergic diseases, airway physiology, plus relevant early life and adolescent genetics and environmental risk factors.
    Using the Isle of Wight (IoW) longitudinal birth cohort, we propose to identify those at risk of persistent asthma, lung function deficit and future COPD by investigating the effect of exposure to smoking, early life risk factors and allergic comorbidities. We propose doing this through mostly blood and urine samples, alongside breathing tests, allergy testing, questionnaires and physical examination. This data will be combined with that collected at previous assessments to provide the unique dataset to answer these critical questions.

  • REC name

    North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    23/NW/0189

  • Date of REC Opinion

    30 Jun 2023

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion