The Global Allergy Symposium: environmental causes of allergic disease and effective interventions

Genetic studies of allergies have largely focused on the atopic diseases: asthma, eczema, hay fever, and allergic rhinitis. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic loci pertinent to the development of allergies, such as Chr17q, the most significant locus associated with asthma, and Chr6p, the site of genes encoding proteins involved in the recognition of foreign antigens. However, genetic determinants of allergic diseases closely interact with both the microbiome and viral particles, explained Miriam Moffatt (Imperial College London, London, UK).