Genetics of food allergy |
| |
Authors: | Stephen C Dreskin MD PhD |
| |
Institution: | (1) Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 E. Ninth Avenue, Campus Box B164, 80262 Denver, CO, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Allergic reactions to foods are an important medical problem throughout the industrialized world. The occurrence of food allergy
appears to be strongly in.uenced by genetics, but the basis of the genetic predisposition to food allergy has not been differentiated
from that for atopy in general. In addition, genetic susceptibility alone does not explain the prevalence of food allergy
satisfactorily, leaving ample room to consider the importance of environmental in.uences (external, maternal, and gastrointestinal
environment) and interactions between the host and the environment. Several features of food allergy are highlighted in this
review: 1) patients with severe food allergies are overwhelmingly atopic, but food allergy occurs only in approximately 10%
of patients with other atopic diseases; 2) most patients are clinically reactive to a single food, and although a substantial
minority have multiple food allergies, the variety of bonefide food allergies in a given individual is limited; 3) foods contain
multiple proteins whereas only a small subset are allergenic; 4) there is likely an important contribution of the environment,
becoming manifest in genetically susceptible individuals. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|