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. 2010 Oct;2(4):215-27.
doi: 10.4168/aair.2010.2.4.215. Epub 2010 Jun 11.

Unraveling the genetic basis of asthma and allergic diseases

Jian-Feng Meng  1 , Lanny J Rosenwasser
Affiliations

Unraveling the genetic basis of asthma and allergic diseases

Jian-Feng Meng et al. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2010 Oct.

Abstract

Asthma and allergic diseases are believed to be complex genetic diseases which may result from the interaction of multiple genetic factors and environmental stimuli. In past decades, great efforts have been exerted in unraveling their genetic basis. The strategies in discovering genes and genetic variants, confirming their importance in pathogenesis of asthma and allergic diseases, as well as their strengths and limitations are summarized comprehensively and concisely. The current consensus about the genetic basis of asthma and allergic diseases is briefly described as well.

Keywords: Asthma; allergic diseases; genetic.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no financial or other issues that might lead to conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart for unraveling genetic basis of asthma and allergic diseases. Susceptible genes are identified through positional cloning, candidate gene approach or genome wide association studies. Independent replications in diverse populations and functional studies for understanding the biological pathways and molecular mechanisms involved provide convincing evidences in the confirmation of a susceptible gene and the related genetic variants for asthma and allergic diseases.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Multifactorial genetics of asthma and allergic diseases. The genetic basis is interacted with environmental factors perhaps together with development factors in the development of asthma and allergic diseases. When gene-environment interaction is taken into consideration, the identified susceptible genes are categorized into four groups with major functions in barrier layer and defense, antigen recognition and presentation, immunoregulation and Th2 differentiation, and effecter targets.
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