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.