Allergy and Asthma – Are They Genetically Inherited?
Many people are under impression that allergy and asthma disease had genetic or heredity factors playing major role as medium of transferred. If parents have allergy, then there is a big chances that their kids will and soon develop allergy in some stage of their live. Some even elaborate this heredity factors to other closed family relatives. Altogether there are public common assumptions that heredity is playing big role for this disease. But what scientific research experts say about this?
Asthma and allergies affect 1 out of 4 Americans. More than 70% of people with asthma also suffer from allergies. The exact causes of allergies are unknown; there are lots of factors involved. Until know we only managed to know that it is body over reaction or body hyper sensation to certain allergen.
Scientific researches have developed over years to thoroughly analyze this issue. Over recent years, considerable amounts of data have become available in genetics of allergy in general and allergy asthma and other allergic disease. These data have been derived from studies on twins, parental history, allergy family background studies, from other studies of IgE-mediated allergic diseases and from genetic studies of different types of allergy and asthma, e.g. certain types of occupational asthma, as well as non-allergic asthma, asthma family, and such as aspirin-induced asthma.
The rapid development in research and knowledge of DNA and human genome alongside with technologies for analysis genetic variation, have pay tremendous result in the knowing the relation of allergy and genetic involvement. This has result in dramatic increase of similar studies for research in relation of allergy and heredity. With the abundant of data resulted form this study, scientist is now seeing a light by the end of the tunnel.
Allergies among identical twins, which have identical DNA strands, are shared more often than among fraternal twins, who have only one strand of DNA in common. The percentages of the results for identical twins are clearly not 100 percent. Some may say that the results are close enough to 100 percent to say that genetics are the cause, while others may say that it is not close enough to make any definite conclusions on the matter. Perhaps a more involved study should take place, one that involves extensive research on each specific kind of allergy among twins. Maybe it is possible for some allergies to be genetic while others may be products of environment, diseases, and so on. In short, all of these cases suggest that genetics may have something to do with allergies, but at this point, that is all that it is: a suggestion. The important thing is to know that genetics and the environment could potentially be the main factors in developing allergies; so if one twin in a set has an allergy, it is a good idea to have the other twin evaluated just in case.
From above experiences and study, researches are agreed of some factor to relate allergy and asthma with genetic factors:
Individuals with a allergy family history of atopy have an increased risk of developing IgE sensitization.
The risk of developing atopic IgE-mediated diseases like allergy asthma, rhinitis and eczema is related to a allergy family history of IgE-mediated disease.
Studies have estimated the contribution of genetic factors to the development of IgE sensitization and to a family history of an IgE-mediated disease at 70–80%.
It is believed that allergy and asthma are not genetically inherited as single gene disorders, and it is not show a simple pattern of inheritance
All of these studies result are not exact, but perhaps a more involved study should take place, one that involves extensive research on each specific kind of allergy and asthma among twins. Maybe it is possible for some allergies to be genetic while others may be products of environment, diseases, and so on. In short, all of these cases suggest that genetics may have something to do with allergies, but at this point, that is all that it is: a suggestion. The important thing is to know that genetics and the environment could potentially be the main factors in developing allergies; so if one twin in a set has an allergy, it is a good idea to have the other twin evaluated just in case.
Expert believed that other agents beside genetics play role in this disease such as respiratory infections, dietary intake, air pollution, mental and emotional factor play role to develop this allergy and asthma disease.