Genetics of Food Allergy - Twitter summary from #CSACI15 meeting

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Dr Asai from @queensu Speaking on the Genetics of Food Allergy.

Greater than 50% of people with Ichthyosis Vulgaris will develop atopic dermatitis.

Filaggrin (FLG) gene

100% of patients with filaggrin mutations has keratosis pilaris . Keratosis pilaris will occur in 100% of people with fillagrin mutations...but occurs in 30% of the general population as well. This is what keratosis pilaris looks like. On the face it's called linea alba. There's no good treatment. https://t.co/kAVUfTAsXI

Filaggrin (FLG) gene defects leads to defective skin barrier, increased transepidermal water loss, eczematous rashes. Low repeats of Filaggrin linked to eczema. The higher the copy number of FLG repeats, the less likely you'll have eczema.

Filaggrin mutation is a strong genetic risk factor for peanut allergy, which is probably polygenic.

Filaggrin mutation linked to peanut allergy. FLG gene defects strongly associated with peanut allergy. But only 20% of peanut-allergic individuals have a common FLG mutation, so other genes/factors clearly involved.

In those with FLG mutation, increase in peanut dust in house associated with increased risk of PN allergy.

Although peanut allergy occurs at rate of 2% it would still be considered a "rare disease" by comparison to other conditions. As a complex and relatively rare condition, peanut allergy has many potential candidate genes and environment factors.

Studies look at Genome Wide Associations (GWAS) to find genes with Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) associated with disease.

Dr. Yuka Asai ends by saying that understanding the genetics of food allergy is dependent on power - statistical sample size power.