Genetic risk factors of food allergy: a review of genome-wide studies

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Food allergy (FA) is an urgent problem for public health worldwide. This disease reduces the quality of life of patients and increases the risk of developing unpredictable anaphylactic reactions. AIM: Conduct an analysis of genetic studies in cohorts of patients with FA aimed at assessing the role of genetic factors in the development of this pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of genome-wide association studies aimed at studying the influence of genetic factors in FA development. The review includes original articles published for the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021. RESULTS: This systematic review analyzed data on the relationship of genetic variations associated with FA. Eight studies were analyzed, and the maximum effect with the development of IgE-mediated FA on peanuts was found for the rs10018666 variant of the SLC2A9 gene in Europeans. Some allergens associated with specific loci have been found, for example, variants rs9273440 (HLA-DQB1), rs115218289 (ITGA6), rs10018666 (SLC2A9), and others are unique to peanut. Associated variants are predominantly associated with disorders of the innate/adaptive immune response and functioning of the epithelial barrier, confirming their leading role in FA development. In addition to associations with FA, most of the identified genes affect the development of other allergic march phenotypes, including atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and non-allergic (type 2 diabetes mellitus, Parkinsons disease, myocardial infarction, and others) diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Summarizing the results of genome-wide associative studies, it should be noted that the development of food allergies involves variants localized both in known atopic and newly identified loci that are not related to the development of other allergic diseases. The peculiarities of the structure of food sensitization and the lack of research on the susceptibility to food allergies in Russia determine the direction of further scientific research in this area.