Abstract :Chronic inflammatory lung diseases (CILD) are increasing worldwide and represent a major issue for daily life performance and public health expenditure. The two major CILD are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 280 million people currently suffer from asthma and 40% of all children experience asthma symptoms. COPD affected 65 million people with a death rate of 3 million/year in 2005 (WHO). An increasing number of studies indicate that the likelihood to develop asthma or CODP is linked to inheritable susceptibility factors. However, despite of large genetic cohorts, no specific candidate genes had been identified. Instead, epi-genetic events induced by known CILD risk factors can mimic inheritance. The mechanism how epi-genetic events can be transmitted over generations is unknown. This review aims to provide an overview on the current knowledge on epi-genetic events that can be induced by known CILD risk factors and which contribute to CILD during adulthood. The available data points towards epi-genetic mechanisms rather than the modification of the DNA.
Future studies have to investigate the mechanisms which make epi-genetic events “inheritable”. Preventive strategies have to be developed and pregnant women have to be informed about the risk factors which pre-dispose their children to suffer from lifelong malfunction of the lung. Strategies to reduce the burden of CILD can only be achieved by projects that link basic, clinical and epidemiological research. However, as long as the public is not aware of the problem, such studies will have difficulties to obtain funding.