Die Genetik atopischer Erkrankungen

Allergic disorders (atopic dermatitis, asthma, hay fever) are common chronic inflammatory diseases of the skin and airways that are often associated with allergies (formation of specific IgE antibodies) to environmental allergens. They are complex genetic diseases, so that both genetic and environmental factors are involved in their causation. Most of the research effort devoted to the search for genes that might be responsible has so far focused on the mechanisms behind the immune response. More recent work on gene identification, however, documents the decisive importance of epithelial barrier defects in the pathogenesis of AD and allergic airways disease. These findings represent an important milestone in unraveling the genetic mechanisms underlying these complex diseases and allow new insight into the molecular mechanisms that lead illnesses to develop. In addition, they might point the way to novel preventive and therapeutic strategies for atopic disorders.