Pollution link to asthma in womb

One in ten children in the UK have asthma

Traffic pollution causes genetic changes in the womb which increase a child's risk of developing asthma, research suggests.

A study of umbilical cord blood from 56 children found "reprogramming" of a gene associated with exposure to compounds in traffic fumes.

The gene was associated with asthma symptoms at age five, the researchers reported in the PLoS ONE journal.

It is the first time pollution has been shown to influence genes, experts said.

In the study, researchers looked at a gene called ACSL3, which is expressed in the lung.

We know that children living in polluted areas have a higher incidence of asthma but what we didn't know was it was affecting a gene Dr Keith Prowse, British Lung Foundation

They also recorded the mothers' exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - a by-product of combustion present in high levels in heavy-traffic areas - during their pregnancy with backpack air monitors.

The researchers found a significant association between chemical changes which control activation of the gene and high levels of maternal PAH exposure.

Although the finding needs to be confirmed in larger studies, researchers say changes in the ACSL3 gene may be help early diagnosis of pollution-related asthma. Read more......