Determine the genetic basis of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema

2017/10/31 Etxebeste Aduriz, Egoitz - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Genetika
• Medikuntza

It was known that asthma, allergic rhinitis (such as dust or pollen allergy) and eczema had in part the same genetic base. That is why it is frequent that several of these diseases appear simultaneously. The genetic risk factors underlying these diseases have now been analyzed, identifying a total of 136 factors, more than half unknown. These genetic variations affect 132 genera. They are genes related to the immune system.

Only 6 of the 136 variants identified are specific to a disease. Thus, in this paper, published in the journal Nature Genetics, it is confirmed that these diseases have to a large extent the same genetic base, so there are similar processes behind them.

Based on the results of the study, researchers have also proposed some drugs that could be effective. On the other hand, it has been detected that environmental factors can also increase the risk of developing diseases by causing epigenetic changes. For example, smokers have a higher risk of extinction of the PITPNM2 gene and, consequently, of developing some of these diseases.