Gene theory over painful food allergy

A suspect gene has been identified that may be responsible for a painful food allergy that is becoming more common.

People with oeosinophilic oesophagitis may experience weight loss, vomiting, heartburn and swallowing difficulties.

The allergic reaction affects around one in 10,000 people around the world, mostly young men with a history of other allergic conditions such as asthma and eczema.

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Experts believe the number of cases may be an underestimate and incidence of the condition is rising.

It can be triggered by a wide range of foods, meaning sufferers have to be very careful about what they eat. Some of the more common triggers include milk, eggs, wheat and beef.

The new study linked the condition to a region of DNA containing two genes.

Of these, the most likely culprit was the gene TSLP, which was more active in children with oeosinophilic oesophagitis.

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TSLP has previously been linked to asthma and other allergic inflammatory diseases, and the skin condition atopic dermatitis.

Scientists in the US analysed the genetic codes of 181 children with the condition and compared them with DNA from almost 2,000 healthy children.

The research is reported in the journal Nature Genetics.

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