FIGURE LEGENDS
Figure 1. Circulating levels of chemokines from children in the
MAAS cohort. Plasma concentrations of A. CCL17, B. CCL22, C. CCL18, D.
CXCL10 and E. CXCL11 were measured by means of Luminex and ELISA
methodology at birth (in cord blood), age 1 and age 8. The data are
displayed as medians with interquartile ranges. Statistical differences
were ascertained using a Kruskal-Wallis test with a Dunn’s post hoc test
for multiple comparisons. *** p < 0.001. CB – cord blood.
Figure 2. Associations of the chemokines CXCL10 and CCL18 to
asthma development. Plasma concentrations of the Th1-associated
chemokine CXCL10 are displayed in relation to development of asthma at
age 1 in A and age 8 in B. Circulating levels of the Th2/Treg-associated
chemokine CCL18 in relation to asthma development at age 8 and 16 years
are illustrated in C and D, respectively. Asthma was defined as
fulfilling at least two out of three criteria at the investigated time
point: current wheeze, current use of asthma medication, or
physician-diagnosed asthma. The data are presented as medians with
interquartile ranges. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to
survey statistical significance. * p < 0.05, *** p <
0.001. CB – cord blood.
Figure 3. Associations of the chemokines CXCL10 and CCL18 to
allergic sensitisation. Plasma concentrations of the Th1-associated
chemokine CXCL10 are displayed in relation to development of
sensitisation, at age 1 in A and age 16 years in B. Circulating levels
of the Th2/Treg-associated chemokine CCL18 in relation to sensitisation
at age 1, 8 and 16 years are illustrated in C, D and E, respectively.
Sensitisation status was determined by means of skin prick testing. The
data are displayed as medians with interquartile ranges. Mann-WhitneyU tests were performed. * p < 0.05, ** p <
0.01. CB – cord blood.
Figure 4. Forest plots of odds ratios from logistic regression
models on predicting allergy development from circulating chemokine
levels. Probabilities of developing asthma as depicted in A and
sensitisation as illustrated in B from cross-sectional adjusted logistic
regression models including all chemokines and correction for the
confounding factors sex, parental atopy and parental smoking. Odds
ratios are denoted with crosses and the corresponding values below them,
and 95% confidence intervals are illustrated by the error bars. All
displayed models have an adjusted p-value of <0.05.
Figure 5. Forest plot of odds ratios from generalised
estimation equation (GEE) models predicting longitudinal allergy
development from the measured chemokines. In the GEE-models, the
predictive ability of the chemokine CCL18 on longitudinal development of
asthma at ages 5-16 years and 8-16 years, as well as sensitisation at
3-16 years and 8-16 years of age, was examined. Odds ratios are denoted
with crosses and the corresponding values below them, and 95%
confidence intervals are illustrated by the error bars. All displayed
models revealed an adjusted p-value of <0.05.
Figure 6. Associations of CCL18 levels at age 8 to previously
machine learning derived clusters of allergy outcomes from the MAAS
cohort. Panel A displays sensitisation clusters, B CRD IgE clusters, C
atopic diseases clusters and D exacerbations clusters. The data are
presented as medians with interquartile ranges. A Kruskal-Wallis test
with Dunn’s post hoc test for multiple comparisons was performed. * p
< 0.05, ** p < 0.01. CRD – component resolved
diagnostics.