The genetics of food allergy

Abstract

Food allergy is a complex trait with phenotypic expression that undoubtedly is determined by multiple genes with major and minor influences impacted by gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Food allergy is not a single disorder but a variety of clinical manifestations that are attributed to adverse immunologic responses to food proteins. Successful genetic dissection of food allergy must begin with a clear description of a particular phenotype. This article reviews the challenges in defining various phenotypes of food allergy, the progress in determining the genetic basis of food allergy, and the future directions for the investigation of the genes involved in this complex disease.