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Asthma: How genetic factors and depression affect symptom severity A novel mutation affects how depression influences the severity of asthma symptoms, with opposite effects in children and the elderly. Depression is known to affect the severity of symptoms experienced by patients with chronic disorders, such as asthma. Heung-Woo Park at Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea and coworkers investigated how genetic factors might influence the interaction between depression and asthma. Using previously collected genetic data, the researchers identified a mutation linked with both asthma and depression. In children with the mutation, depression was linked to severe asthma symptoms; children with depression but without the mutation experienced milder symptoms. The researchers observed the opposite relationship in a group of elderly patients with asthma. They conclude that further study of this mutation could illuminate ways to improve asthma management strategies.