Atopy Can Be an Interfering Factor in Genetic Association Studies of ß-Lactam Allergy

Abstract

[EN] Genetic and environmental factors are involved in immediate hypersensitivity reactions to ß-lactam antibiotics. Several genes have been associated with immediate hypersensitivity reactions to ß-lactams, including those encoding cytokines and receptors involved in the synthesis of IgE (FCER1), as well as signal transduction proteins and products released by mast cells. Nevertheless, analysis of publications reporting on genetic association studies in patients allergic to ß-lactams reveals that most were performed in 3 main populations and, in most cases, by the same groups of investigators, who progressively increased the population sample in successive studies. Most of the publications reported a series of concerns, namely, the diagnosis was not always based on skin or challenge tests, tolerance to ß-lactams in controls was not proved, and atopy was not taken into account.