title: The role of gene-environment interactions in the development of food allergy.
abstract: The rates of IgE-mediated food allergy have increased globally, particularly in developed countries. The rising incidence is occurring more rapidly than changes to the genome sequence would allow, suggesting that environmental exposures that alter the immune response play an important role. Genetic factors may also be used to predict an increased predisposition to these environmental risk factors, giving rise to the concept of gene-environment interactions, whereby differential risk of environmental exposures is mediated through the genome. Increasing evidence also suggests a role for epigenetic mechanisms, which are sensitive to environmental exposures, in the development of food allergy. This paper discusses the current state of knowledge regarding the environmental and genetic risk factors for food allergy and how environmental exposures may interact with immune genes to modify disease risk or outcome.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Centre of Food and Allergy Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Melanie R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Neeland
authors.affiliation: a 1 Centre of Food and Allergy Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia.|b 2 Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Katrina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D040941:Heredity; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000091344:Filaggrin Proteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: environmental risk factors; epigenetics; food allergy; gene-environment