Genetic Variants of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin and Non-IgE-Mediated Food Allergy

Representing a pathology frequently encountered in the clinical pediatric practice, non-IgE-mediated food allergy is characterized by delayed immune-mediated adverse reactions to foods. Various genetic and environmental factors play complex and incompletely elucidated roles in the development of this type of allergic pathology. In the present research, we aimed to assess the associations of the TSLP gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs3806933 and rs10062929 with the risk of non-IgE-mediated food allergy, as well as with other characteristics of these patients. The study included 87 Romanian patients with non-IgE-mediated food allergy and 115 healthy controls. The two SNPs were genotyped using Real-Time PCR TaqMan Allelic Discrimination Assays. No associations were identified between rs3806933 or rs10062929 and the risk of non-IgE-mediated food allergy. The frequency of the minor allele C of rs3806933 was lower in children with atopic dermatitis (35.4% vs. 46.8%), a positive family history of atopic disease (39.0% vs. 47.8%), and elevated levels of total IgE (39.2% vs. 45.7%), but not statistically significant.