Epigenetic differences in long non-coding RNA expression in Finnish and Russian Karelia teenagers with contrasting risk of allergy and asthma

The objective of the study was to investigate long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles of blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), to identify lncRNAs that act at the interphase of microbiome-mediated immune homeostasis in allergy/asthma. Venous blood samples were collected from healthy and asthmatic individuals from Finland (n=69) and Russia (n=75) yielding altogether 144 study subjects. PBMCs were separated and totRNA extracted for microarray analyses.