The development of asthma and allergies

Researchers used to assume that the mechanisms leading to the development of asthma and allergies were similar, but this assumption has now been disproved by a meta-study conducted by an international research project that includes a team from the Helmholtz Centre of Munich. The researchers identified six genetic loci on various chromosomes that can contribute to the development of bronchial asthma. They also showed that there is only a low correlation between asthma and the genetic variants related to allergies.

The meta-study incorporates data from a variety of studies on respiratory illnesses in adults and children. All told, the genetic dispositions of more than 26,000 people were examined. The correlation between the genetic variants and an increased concentration of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the blood was low, which indicates that bronchial asthma and allergic sensitisation are based on different mechanisms.

But the study also revealed that only around 38 percent of asthma cases in children can be explained by these genetic variants. Environmental factors apparently also play a decisive role.

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