Large international study finds new risk genes for hay fever

July 17, 2018

In a large international study involving nearly 900,000 participants, researchers at the University of Copenhagen and COPSAC found new genes at risk for hay fever. It is the largest genetic study to date on this type of allergy, affecting millions of people worldwide.

Hay fever is the most common type of allergy, affecting up to one million people in Denmark each spring and summer. than 400 million worldwide. It is spreading regularly in the western world, but its underlying mechanisms are still unknown. However, a large international study conducted by researchers at the University of Copenhagen has now brought us a little closer to understanding its causes.

The study, which has just been published in the scientific journal Nature Genetics includes data from more than 30 studies and nearly 900,000 participants from Europe. Based on these data, the researchers mapped 41 genes that increase the risk of developing hay fever. Of these, 20 are new to science.

"This is the largest genetic study ever done on hay fever. The scope of the study has allowed us to learn more about allergy, and that only thanks to The risk genes we have mapped can help us understand the causes of hay fever and, in the longer term, it will be useful for developing drugs and better allergy treatments, "says Klaus Bønnelykke , Associate Professor of Clinical Research in the Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, he is also badociated with the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC), where he directed the University of Copenhagen. study with Professor Hans Bisgaard and Principal Investigator Johannes Waage

Ten percent of hay fever explained [19659003Lerhumedesfoinsestdéclenchépardesallergènesaéroportéstelsquelepollenlespoilsd'animauxetlesacariensLenombredepersonnessouffrantd'allergiesaugmenteenparticulierdanslespaysoccidentauxdontleDanemarkOnnesaitpasencoreexactementpourquoilerhumedesfoinscommenceàatteindredesproportionsépidémiquesSelonKlausBønnelykke«lesgènessonttrèsimportantsetdesétudessurdesjumeauxmontrentquechezplusdelamoitiédespersonnesatteintesl'allergieestdueàlagénétiquequedenombreuxcasdoiventêtredusàdesfacteursenvironnementauxpuisquelenombredepersonnessouffrantdurhumedesfoinsaaugmentéaucoursdes100dernièresannéesquel'allergienesepropagepasaussirapidementenraisondechangementsgénétiquesquedesdizainesdemilliersd'annéesParconséquentjecroisquelahausseestsusceptibled'êtrecauséeparuneinteractionentrelesgènesàrisquetelsqueceuxquenousavonstrouvésdanscetteétudeetdiversfacteursenvironnementauxquidéclenchentl'allergiechezlespersonnesàrisque»expliqueKlausBønnelykke19659003] Although the study is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind, it do not fully explain why Some people develop hay fever and others do not. This explains only about ten percent of the disease. The next step for Klaus Bønnelykke is not only to add more participants, but also to start looking at how genes interact with environmental factors such as pollen, pollution and pets.

Genetic Commonality with Autoimmune Diseases

In the study, researchers also found an overlap between risk genes for hay fever and genes at risk for autoimmune diseases -immune such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. As with allergies, the number of people with autoimmune diseases has risen sharply in recent years. According to Klaus Bønnelykke, gene overlap can help explain why.

"Our study helps identify genetic commonalities that can be a key to understanding why these diseases are all increasing. the way in which these diseases become more prevalent, but we have not yet understood why, the genetic overlap that we observed seems to suggest that it is the same genes that trigger these diseases, at least in part. try to understand the mechanisms and causes, perhaps not only to understand hay fever, but also to understand autoimmune diseases ", says Klaus Bønnelykke