Epigenomics and Allergic Disease

Abstract

Allergic disease development is affected by both genes and the environment, and epigenetic mechanisms are hypothesized to mediate these environmental effects. In this article, we discuss the link between the environment, DNA methylation and allergic disease, as well as questions of causality inherent to analyses of DNA methylation. From the practical side, we describe characteristics of allergic phenotypes and contrast different epidemiologic study designs used in epigenetic research. We examine methodological considerations, how best to conduct preprocessing and analysis of DNA methylation data sets, and the latest methods, technologies and discoveries in this rapidly advancing field. DNA methylation and other epigenetic marks are firmly entwined with allergic disease, a link that may hold the basis for future allergic disease diagnosis and treatment.

Neonatal Immune State Is Influenced by Maternal Allergic Rhinitis and Associated With Regulatory T cells

“…Epigenetic modifications contain histone modification, noncoding RNAs, chromatin remodeling, and DNA methylation. DNA methylation is one of the most common epigenetic modifications in eukaryotic cells and its functions in allergic diseases have been enthusiastically debated in recent years 1617. Forkhead box p3 ( Foxp3 ) is the specific transcription factor of CD4 + CD25 + Treg cells and is a critical regulator of their development and function 1819.…”

Allergic reactions: key aspects and new perspectives

“…No obstante, las reacciones a medicamentos severas (como SJS y TEN), que pueden ser evitadas aproximadamente en un 80%, se han visto relacionadas en el caso de tener el HLA-B*5701 e iniciar tratamiento con el abacavir (inhibidor de la transcriptasa reversa de tipo nucleótido usado en el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana), por lo que este es un ejemplo de un examen rutinario usado ampliamente en la práctica clínica de los países desarrollados (58)(59)(60). Es por esto, que se habla de la epigenética, es decir cómo influyen los factores ambientales en la expresión de ciertos genes (2,11). En la tabla 3 se dan ejemplos de los genes relacionados con algunas enfermedades alérgicas (61-68) y en la tabla 4 los estudios de HLA en hipersensibilidad a medicamentos (69)(70)(71)(72)(73)(74)(75).…”

“…En ésta, influyen principalmente factores genéticos y ambientales. El primer factor se considera el más importante por sí solo (2), al decirse que si un progenitor es alérgico, el riesgo de que su hijo lo sea es del 30%, si ambos padres lo son, se habla del 50%; y si son gemelos idénticos la probabilidad es de un 70% (1). En cuanto al segundo factor, las principales fuentes de alérgenos son: 1-) Alimentos como mariscos, soja, trigo, maní, leche, huevos, siendo estos tres últimos los que más comúnmente generan reacciones alérgicas (3,4), 2-) Medicamentos, entre los que están: β-lactámicos, ácido acetilsalicílico (ASA), trimetoprim-sulfametoxazol, vancomicina, antiinflamatorios no esteroideos (AINES), 3-) Animales, como reptiles e insectos y 4-) Otros como látex, vacunas, medios de contraste radiológicos y polen (5).…”

Tetanus vaccination is associated with differential DNA-methylation: Reduces the risk of asthma in adolescence

“…DNA-M, the addition of a methyl group to a cytosine followed by a guanine (CpG sites, CpGs), is known to mediate the effect of environment at transcriptional levels, and also has well-evidenced connections to allergic disease [13]. An immunological study suggested that epigenetic changes in vaccine-induced memory CD4 and/or CD8 T cells act as on-off-on switches for immune responses after re-exposure to antigen [4].…”

“…It has been suggested that DNA–M may modulate the regulation of genes that are associated in the pathogenesis of asthma and allergy [13,16–19]. …”