Identical twins are much more likely to share a peanut allergy than fraternal twins (65 percent versus 7 percent), according to a study presented at the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology meeting in San Diego, California.
When Identical Twins Were Compared with Fraternal Twins...
Researchers recruited pairs of twins with at least one twin reporting a peanut allergy. Fifty-eight sets of twins (116 individuals) – 44 fraternal and 14 identical sets – were included in the study. Seventy people had a peanut allergy. Thirty-five of the fifty-eight twin pairs had other siblings. None of the siblings had peanut allergy. Four parents of twin pairs had peanut allergy. Only seven percent in fraternal twins reported a peaut allergy – the same incidence found among non-twin siblings. The researchers concluded that when it comes to peanut allergy, there is a significant genetic influence.
Dr. Scott Sicherer, at Mt. Sinai Hospital and lead researcher on the study, remarked, "This gives us the vital information that we need to go ahead with more studies, to learn exactly what genes are responsible for these common and potentially deadly allergies."
"It is well established that genetics, or heredity, play a role in the various allergic diseases such as asthma or eczema," reports Terry Furlong of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network and co-author of the study. "But before this, there were no formal studies to determine the influence of heredity on specific food allergies."
Scientists hope that by learning more about the genes that cause these diseases, better diagnostic interventions and treatments will be possible. Peanut allergy is believed to affect 1.5 million Americans and is considered to be a life-long problem. It is also believed to be the leading cause of severe and sometimes fatal allergic reactions. |
