SIGNIFICANCE OF TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR-2 POLYMORPHISM rs4696480 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOOD ALLERGY IN CHILDREN WITH ATOPIC DERMATITIS

Relevance. Food allergy is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. Toll-like receptors may be unique in the development of food allergies due to their expression by intestinal epithelial and dendritic cells. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the rs4696480 polymorphism in TLR2 and the presence of food allergy in children with atopic dermatitis. Material and methods. The study included 103 patients with atopic dermatitis and 84 healthy children. Polymorphism genotyping was performed in the group of patients and the control group using real-time PCR. Food sensitization was determined by presence sIgE to food allergens by the immunochemiluminescent method using an ImmunoCAP 100 (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Phadia, Sweden). The presence of food allergy was determined by a detailed clinical history and review of clinical records. Results. In the subgroup of children with food allergies, 9 children had the AA genotype, 7 patients had the heterozygous variant, and 3 children had the TT genotype. Among patients without food allergy, 20 patients had the AA genotype, 39 were heterozygotes, and 25 had the TT genotype. The OR assessment demonstrated that the AA genotype of the rs4696480 polymorphism is reliably associated with the development of food allergy in children with atopic dermatitis, OR=2,880 (1,0271-8,0757). Conclusion. The rs4696480 polymorphism in TLR2 gene is associated with the development of food allergy in Ukrainian children with atopic dermatitis.