9. Different Environmental Influences on Aetiology of Atopic Diseases in European Populations as a Basis for Study of Gene-Environment Interactions
Abstrakt
Atopy is a predisposition to hyperproduction of immunoglobulin E (IgE) against common environmental allergens.. The development of these diseases is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
As the first step in study of such gene-environment interactions we analyzed the specificity and intensity of sensitization to 40 different allergens in atopic patients from the Czech Republic and Ukradne. We found highly significant differences in sensitization to airborne allergens between patients from the two countries.
The most pronounced allergens from Ukradne were dust mites allergens and cat. In the atopic patients from the Czech Republic the level of sensitization to these allergens was similar, but the level of sensitization to outdoor allergens, grasses and trees was dramatically higher.
The higher sensitization levels to outdoor allergens in the Czech Republic suggest an influence of westernization on development of allergic reactivity.