[HTML][HTML] Hepatitis A virus link to atopic disease

JJ McIntire, SE Umetsu, C Macaubas, EG Hoyte… - Nature, 2003 - nature.com
JJ McIntire, SE Umetsu, C Macaubas, EG Hoyte, C Cinnioglu, LL Cavalli-Sforza, GS Barsh
Nature, 2003nature.com
Atopic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, are caused by both
environmental and genetic factors. Here we show that infection by hepatitis A virus (HAV)
may protect individuals from atopy if they carry a particular variant of the gene that encodes
TIM-1 (also known as HAVcr-1)—the cell-surface receptor used by HAV to infect human
cells. Exposure to HAV is associated with poor hygiene, large family size and attendance at
day-care centres, all factors that are also inversely associated with atopy,,,,. Our discovery …
Abstract
Atopic diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, are caused by both environmental and genetic factors. Here we show that infection by hepatitis A virus (HAV) may protect individuals from atopy if they carry a particular variant of the gene that encodes TIM-1 (also known as HAVcr-1) — the cell-surface receptor used by HAV to infect human cells. Exposure to HAV is associated with poor hygiene, large family size and attendance at day-care centres, all factors that are also inversely associated with atopy,,,,. Our discovery indicates that interaction between HAV and TIM-1 genotype may contribute to the aetiology of atopic diseases, and provides a mechanism to account for the hygiene hypothesis.
nature.com