TOPLINE:

Children with a genetic variant linked to atopic eczema (rs10214237) appeared less likely to develop the condition if they were exposed to dogs in their early years, according to a large European study.

METHODOLOGY:

Researchers analyzed 16 European cohorts (n = 25,339) and replicated findings in 10 more (n = 254,532).

They tested for an interaction between 24 atopic eczema-associated genetic loci and 18 early-life environmental exposures.

In vitro experiments assessed IL-7R expression in keratinocytes of known rs10214237 genotype after exposure to dog allergen using cells from multiple donors.

TAKEAWAY:

The discovery analysis revealed 14 significant interactions ( P < .05 for all) between at least one gene variant for eczema and seven environmental factors (antibiotic u

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