Short summary

The RAV II project is a follow-up of the well-characterized and well-studied RAV cohort. Overall, the study offers opportunities to uncover many aspects related to personal and environmental risk factors, mechanisms, and assessment of weakened or incapacity to work, which is necessary in order to better advise on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention both at the individual and community level.

Rationale

The aim of the RAV II project, is to...

1. determine prevalence, incidence and remission of asthma, rhinitis and sensitization for commonly occurring respiratory sensitizers' (atopic) among younger and older adults
2. describe occupational and environmental risk factors associated with incidence and prognosis for adult asthma, rhinitis, atopy and early COPD
3. describe the importance of specific oxidative genes for the development and progression of adult asthma, rhinitis, atopy, bronchial hyper reactivity and accelerated decline in lung capacity or early COPD
4. describe specific candidate genes associated with adult asthma, rhinitis, atopy, bronchial reactivity and accelerated decline in lung function or early COPD
5. describe specific biomarkers association with accelerated decline in lung function or early COPD

Description of the cohort

The RAV II project is a follow-up of the well-characterized and well-studied RAV cohort, which was established in the baseline study RAV I (2002-2005) by sending out questionnaires to 10.000 randomly selected persons (age 20-44) in what was then known as  Fyns, Vejle, Ribe, Northern Jutland and Southern Jutland counties, 7.271 responses was received. In RAV I phase 2 (2003-2005) a 20 % sample was drawn from the study population. The respondents from this group and from a symptom group was invited to participate in further examinations. In total 1.191 persons from these two groups participated.

In RAV II the cohort consists of 7.103 persons from the RAV cohort and 5.760 randomly selected persons from the former five counties and Aarhus. 8.352 of these 12.863 persons have chosen to answer the screening questionnaire (72 % from the RAV cohort, 57 % from the new cohort). In 2013-2014 clinical investigations (RAV II phase 2) will be carried out on all the persons clinically examined in RAV I, all persons with incident symptoms as well as a 20 % sample and all with symptoms in the new cohort.

Data and biological material

Data from the original RAV cohort and new data from questionnaires and interviews; there will be measured for nitrogen oxide (NO) in the exhaled air, performed skin prick test, lung function test, methacholine test and reversibility test. Blood will be drawn for analysis and biobank. Analyses will be made for: Total IgE, SP-D, MFAP4, CC16 and possible biomarkers for early COPD. Genotyping will be made for 16 polymorphines in selected candidate genes. 

Collaborating researchers and departments

Clinic for Occupational Medicine, Hospital of South-West Jutland

• Project Coordinator and "Senior Hospital Physician Lars Skadhauge, PhD
• Senior Hospital Physician Gert Thomsen

Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Odense University Hospital

• Senior Hospital Physician Jesper Bælum, DMSc
• , Senior Hospital Physician David Sherson

Department of Respiratory Diseases, Odense University Hospital

• Senior Hospital Physician Ingrid Titlestad
• Jesper Rømhild Davidsen, MD, PhD

Clinic for Occupational Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital

• Senior Hospital Physician øyvind Omland, PhD

Research Unit of General Practice, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark

• Professor Anders Halling
• Professor Jens Søndergaard

Section for Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Department of Public Health, , Aarhus University

• Professor Torben Sigsgaard, PhD
• Senior Hospital Physician and Associate Professor Vivi Schlünssen

Department of Human Genetics, Odense University Hospital

• Charlotte Brasch Andersen, MSc, PhD

Department of Biochemistry, Hospital Lillebaelt

The pharmacoepidemiological databases Denmark's Environmental Studies