Gene and environmental interactions of food allergy

Food allergy is now looming as a major health issue with significant implications. In westernized countries, recent reports show a rise in allergic diseases, in particular food allergy. It affects approximately 5-8% of children and 1-5% of adults. Despite this, our current understanding of the immunological and biological mechanisms of food allergy is still incomplete. It is generally believed that food allergy is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. There is some evidence that epigenetic modifications may affect the prevalence of food allergies. This paper discusses the current state of knowledge regarding genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors of food allergy.