Answer each number in its separate paragraph Reference your report using numbered references in parentheses. A minimum of 4 references are required. Include a list of citations as the second to last page of your report. The topic this is about is atopic dermatitis 1. Describe your disease or characteristic. State what it is, how it is described or measured, and what effect it has on the person (maximum 500 words). 2. Is there a genetic component to this trait? Describe and cite 2 pieces of scientific evidence that either suggest or refute that there is a genetic contribution to this trait (maximum 400 words). 3. List the types of environmental factors that might influence the development of this trait along with the evidence that these factors influence it (maximum 400 words) 4. In your opinion, based on the evidence that you obtained in your research, how important is the contribution of genetics versus the contribution of environment on the development of this trait? Be specific on why you have formed this opinion. (maximum = 200 words) 5. Initially, a study funded by the federal government was to be conducted at Bringham & Women’s Hospital and Boston Childrens Hospital. This project would have sequenced the entire genome (determine the sequence of nucleotides in the DNA) of 480 healthy newborn babies. Researchers would have collected and analyzed this genetic information and then followed the health records of those children throughout their life. While this was meant as an exploratory project, it is possible that in the future this may have become a part of routine newborn screening. However, this project was cancelled and it will not be conducted at this time. In your opinion, would this have been a worthwhile project, and would the information potentially obtained from it have any potential effect on the topic you chose for this lab? Be specific on why you have formed this opinion. (maximum = 200 words)

 

Atopic Dermatitis

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Question One

Atopic dermatitis is also referred to as atopic eczema and is viewed as an illness that makes the skin of the human body to become reddish and continuously itching rash customarily concentrated on the arms, cheeks, and legs. This type of disorder is typically prevalent in the teenagers however it can occur at any age and can exist with some two different allergic statuses known as asthma and hay fever. Therefore, individuals who suffer from asthma or hay fever are likely to suffer from atopic dermatitis which also takes a couple of months in the body and tends to flare periodically. This type of sickness mostly begins in the childhood period which is typically the first seven months of an infant’s life. Even though atopic dermatitis is regarded as the most popular form of eczema, it still serves as the most intense and long-lasting and can get worse (Barnes, 2010). This disorder is likely to disappear as a child grows into an older age; however, some kids may still experience the illness into adulthood. Some of the factors that are likely to worsen the condition of atopic dermatitis include environmental factors such as low humidity, contact with harsh soaps and detergents, and extreme cold weather condition.  

Currently, there are not distinct standardized means of measuring atopic dermatitis trials which affect the evidence-based communication process. However, the international harmonizing outcome measures for eczema have defined clinical symptoms, signs, life status, and long-term control as critical domains for atopic dermatitis traits (Boguniewicz & Leung, 2011). Some of the effects of this disorder are that people having it will have mild immune system weakness. Moreover, they can be subjected to contracting fungal foot ailment and coetaneous staphylococcal diseases, and it is also likely to trigger simplex lip infection and smallpox to more significant areas of the human skin. Another part of the body that is likely to be affected by atopic dermatitis is the face typically the skin around the eyes, eyelids and the eyebrows. Consequently, some people who are affected by this disorder will tend to have an extra fold of skin particularly under the eyes referred to as atopic pleat. The disease can also have a psychological effect where kids are likely to be bullied in learning institutions thus can result in social isolation and a drop in the performance level.

Question Two

Genetic involvement in atopic dermatitis cannot be completely understood; however, various studies have discovered that many body genes are likely to be part of the growth of the ailment and should be monitored closely. One of the genes that are associated with this sickness includes the CARD11 gene where all the proteins produced by this gene affects the signaling pathways associated in the growth and operations of the immune system cells referred to as lymphocytes. All the mutations in this gene will result in the production of a different CARD11 protein that will fail to actively operate within the body system (Peroni et al. 2011). The alterations will typically impair the pathway signals thus leading to the growth of T-cells lymphocytes that will fail to operate efficiently. Therefore, the respond of these cells towards foreign body invaders such as bacteria and fungi will be diminished thus the T cell abnormalities will result into a weak immune system thus allowing recurrent infections know as associated atopic dermatitis.

In many occasions, the cases of atopic dermatitis are perceived to happen due to the combination of genetic and environmental conditions such extreme cold weather; however, many common genetic variations are likely to be involved where each will contribute a tiny amount to the risk of developing atopic dermatitis. One of the strongest of these associations will be that of the FLG gene which is typically managed in close to thirty percent of individuals with the disease as compared to the fifteen percent of the entire population without atopic dermatitis. Consequently, the FLG gene is involved with the production of instructions essential to the growth of a protein known as profilaggrin (Peroni et al. 2011). This protein is significant in the creation of the outermost layer of the skin. A majority of the proteins generated from profilaggrin assists like a substantial barrier that is used for storing of water and distract unknown substances inclusive of the toxins, bacteria, and allergens. The difference in the FLG gene results in the production of an abnormal short profilaggrin that is utilized in the production of other related proteins thus impairing the barrier function of the skin.

Question Three

There is the possibility that many human activities have led to the production of compound chemicals with the recent times being the constant exposure to chemical allergens from various sources more so in the industrialized countries. A majority of these toxics are released into the atmosphere from industrial wastes, exhausts fumes of cars, insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers. When a person is subjected to such conditions, there are high possibilities that these situations are likely to affect the immune system thus affecting the balancing of Th1 and Th2responses. According to Spergel, J. M. (2010), the excess increase in the existence of atopic dermatitis and allergy witnessed continuously in the developing countries during the last decades is related with the high exposure to chemicals substances that is significant in the creation of Th2-type responses. Air pollutants in the recent times have been viewed to be environmental factors associated with the substantial prevalence of allergic ailments in industrialized countries. A majority of epidemiological researchers suggests that many air pollutants have been the cause of atopic dermatitis and other several allergic illnesses.

Constant involvement with allergens and skin irritants is another type of environmental factors associated with atopic dermatitis where it is enhanced when the skin gets into contact with chemical or physical annoyances such as the soaps, excessive washing, and detergents. Moreover, it has been confirmed that this ailment and allergic contact dermatitis composes similar pathogens and clinical signs. The allergic contact dermatitis is typically associated with an itchy body, scaling, erythematic and vesiculation where it is typically involved with the environmental factors. On the other hand, aeroallergens also act as environmental factors that influence atopic dermatitis since the common aeroallergens include the dust mites, the pollens, and dander typically found in hair or skin. The can increase the danger of the disorder in some people thus making its effects to be severe even though some researchers believe that these substances are insignificant (Spergel, 2010). It is therefore recommended that the developing countries should adopt the mechanism that is significant towards eradicating these environmental factors that have contributed towards the existence of atopic dermatitis.

Question Four

Having gone through the two factors that contribute towards the growth of atopic dermatitis, it is significant to acknowledge that the genetic contributions are more influential than the environmental factors. This is due to the past study that has been done about these two factors where the genetically factors are likely to lead to the development of other disorders related to inflammation including the inflammatory bowel ailments. Environmental factors such as the air pollution may only increase the intensity of its effects; however, will not lead to other similar conditions. Moreover, infants are likely to lose hair due to the malfunctioning immune reaction together with behavioral sicknesses such as attention deficit hyperactivity ailment or even depression (Szegedi et al. 2012). All these disorders will be enhanced by genes within the body due to the failure of the immune system to safeguard the body from foreign diseases such as the bacteria and the fungi. Therefore, genes are significant in the contribution of atopic dermatitis as compared to the environmental factors which might have severe reactions as to that of the genes.

Question Five

As observed by Barnes, K. C. (2010), DNA sequencing can be viewed as the process of highlighting the precise manner of which nucleotides with any DNA molecule are arranged thus knowing the order in which the four nucleotide bases namely guanine, adenine, cytosine and thymine occur within a nucleic acid molecule. This test would have been beneficial in curbing the atopic dermatitis ailment witnessed in infants since the project could have determined the primary information for a gene that is one of the factors leading to this type of sickness. Moreover, this could have been effective in the evolutionary biology together with the detection of all mutated genes that leads to ailments in the teenagers. Thus, DNA sequencing is considered an integral part of diverse numeral applications.

 

References

Barnes, K. C. (2010). An update on the genetics of atopic dermatitis: scratching the surface in 2009. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 125(1), 16-29.

Boguniewicz, M., & Leung, D. Y. (2011). Atopic dermatitis: a disease of altered skin barrier and immune dysregulation. Immunological reviews, 242(1), 233-246.

Peroni, D. G., Piacentini, G. L., Cametti, E., Chinellato, I., & Boner, A. L. (2011). Correlation between serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels and severity of atopic dermatitis in children. British Journal of Dermatology, 164(5), 1078-1082.

Spergel, J. M. (2010). From atopic dermatitis to asthma: the atopic march. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology, 105(2), 99-106.

Szegedi, K., Kremer, A. E., Kezic, S., Teunissen, M., Bos, J. D., Luiten, R. M., & Middelkamp‐Hup, M. A. (2012). Increased frequencies of IL‐31‐producing T cells are found in chronic atopic dermatitis skin. Experimental dermatology, 21(6), 431-436.