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JACI Highlights - July 2007
Palmer et al - Filaggrin null mutations are associated with increased asthma severity in children and young adults
Filaggrin is a protein important to the skin's ability to maintain a protective barrier against foreign substances. Mutations in the gene for filaggrin are known to be associated with a susceptibility for eczema and allergic sensitivity. In the July 2007 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Palmer and colleagues from the University of Dundee report that in studying a group of asthmatic patients, ages 3-22, they confirmed that those with a genetic mutation causing an absence of filaggrin in the skin had a greater chance of having eczema. Those patients with the filaggrin mutations tended to have more severe asthma that required more medication to control. The status of filaggrin may therefore be an important influence in the medication requirements for managing asthma in children and young adults.
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