[Family transmission of atopic organ manifestations and allergen sensitizing in 659 Tunisian families]

ABSTRACT

The atopic family transmission is the topic of many studies. In addition to the allergy total transmission, which is well established, it seems that atopic organ manifestations and their gravity are family transmitted. To our knowledge, very few authors studied the specific transmission of allergen sensitizing. The aim of this paper is to study the specific family transmission of atopic organ manifestations and allergen sensitizing, in Tunisian families. 659 supposed allergic Tunisian families are studied, which include 1494 patients, 444 parents and 1050 children, consulting for rhinitis and/or asthma. All patients were submitted to a family investigation and had an allergologic check including skin prick test. We highlighted a transmission of the allergy according to the body between parents and their children. Asthma is more transmitted by the mother [p=0.002] than by the father [p=0.05]. However, rhinitis is transmitted only by the father [p=0.03]. There is no significant concordance neither for asthma nor for rhinitis between children. Concerning the transmission of the allergenic sensitivity, our study doesn't show a statistically significant concordance between parents and children and between children. These results confirm the atopic family transmission of the symptoms especially between parents and children. It doesn't seem to exist of hereditary factor concerning the sensitizing allergen