437 | id == 437
437 | category_id == 26
437 | category_order == 23
437 | category_name == Allergies
437 | category_color == #C47AC0
437 | slug == IRF4-allergies
437 | title == How Does Antiviral Immunity Affect the Allergic Response? (IRF4)
437 | meta_description == IRF4 encodes interferon regulatory factor 4, which shifts the immune system toward Th2. Which variants are linked to allergies?
437 | summary == <p><strong><em>IRF4 </em>encodes interferon regulatory factor 4, which shifts the immune system toward Th2. Which variants are linked to allergies? Find out here.</strong></p>
437 | overall_score_text == Your Allergy Score (based on IRF4)
437 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/IRF4-Allergies.jpg
437 | author_id == 1
437 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
437 | author_title == BSc, BEd
437 | author_order == 36
437 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
437 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
437 | reviewer == None
437 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
437 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
437 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
437 | publish_date == 2020
437 | publish_date == 10
437 | publish_date == 26
437 | avg_rating == 5.0
437 | tags_id == 860
437 | tags_name == Allergic Diseases
437 | tags_id == 97
437 | tags_name == Allergies
437 | tags_id == 98
437 | tags_name == Asthma
437 | tags_id == 99
437 | tags_name == Eczema
437 | tags_id == 848
437 | tags_name == Hay Fever
437 | tags_id == 24
437 | tags_name == Inflammation
437 | tags_id == 343
437 | tags_name == Interferons
437 | tags_id == 880
437 | tags_name == IRF4 Gene
437 | tags_id == 853
437 | tags_name == Th2 dominance
437 | permissions_favorite == False
437 | permissions_rate == False
437 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes interferon regulatory factor 4. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may play a role in allergies by increasing the Th2 immune response. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants either by directly decreasing IRF4 or shifting the immune response away from Th2.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>IRF4</em></strong><strong> and Allergies</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes interferon regulatory factor 4, one of the family of compounds that regulate the interferon response to viral infection [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3662"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interferons are named for their ability to interfere with viral replication; they are one of the lines of defense our bodies have against viruses that we have never encountered before [</span><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.03022/full"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interferons are absolutely essential to a healthy response to viral infection. However, they have also been implicated in inflammatory diseases and complications from infection [</span><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.03022/full"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4 has a complex mechanism with both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects. In various tissues, it promotes a </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/supplements-people-th2-dominant/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th2 immune response</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and increases the production of </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/il-10/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-10</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and IL-33 cytokines [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003872/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple studies have found that IRF4 activity is higher in people with allergic asthma or other allergic conditions that affect the airway [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22515488/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3237963/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24074333/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, variants in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have been implicated in asthma and bronchitis (a type of airway inflammation)</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes a compound that regulates the interferon response to infection. It promotes Th2 immunity and has been associated with allergic disorders of the airway.</span></span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>IRF4</em></strong><strong> Results for Allergies</strong></h2> <p>*3949709098615566*</p> <p><strong>IRF4 </strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs9391997/"><strong>rs9391997</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Not associated with allergic inflammation</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with allergic inflammation</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may promote a Th2 immune response, potentially leading to allergic disorders of the airway [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003872/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>IRF4 </strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs11242709/"><strong>rs11242709</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with allergic inflammation</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with allergic inflammation</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may promote a Th2 immune response, potentially leading to allergic disorders of the airway [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003872/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*6213717345355139*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Preventing Allergies</strong></h2> <p>*9466945541846998*</p> <h3><strong>Sunlight &amp; Vitamin D</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> appears to directly inhibit </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene expression, according to a handful of cell studies [</span><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12272-016-0854-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The interaction between vitamin D, its receptor, and IRF4 is highly complex and may be evolutionarily important. </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is one of the genes responsible for lighter hair, skin, and eye color in humans; it is also strongly linked to the sunlight sensitivity and tendency to develop freckles. The vitamin D receptor </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/blog/article/vdr-longevity-85"><span style="font-weight: 400;">VDR</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can also bind to a region of DNA that alters the expression of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2746901/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6091939/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05447-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with asthma and allergies in children [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2675563/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17919705/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In people with allergic rhinitis and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> deficiency, supplementation improved the symptoms. This improvement was not significant at 4 weeks, suggesting that symptom improvement might not occur until vitamin D has been adequately replenished [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31332549/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Healthy exposure to </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sunlight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the best way of increasing your blood vitamin D levels. However, people with certain </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants may be more susceptible to skin damage from ultraviolet light, so make sure not to get sunburnt!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, you can eat food sources of vitamin D (such as fatty fish, liver, egg yolks, and dairy) or take supplements [</span><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sunlight and IRF4 have a close relationship, in which vitamin D may directly decrease </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene expression. People with certain </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IRF4</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants may be more sensitive to skin damage from sunlight, however, so be careful not to get sunburnt.</span></span></p> <h3><strong>Apples</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The active polyphenols found in apples have been found to shift the immune response away from Th2, which may help counteract the downstream effects of overactive IRF4 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20175787/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2 small clinical trials of people with allergic rhinitis, taking </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/apple-polyphenols/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">apple polyphenols</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reduced sneezing attacks, nose discharge, and turbinate swelling, especially in those taking the highest dose. Apple polyphenols may work by reducing histamine release&nbsp; [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17039666/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15849424/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Participants saw some improvement from as little as 50 mg of polyphenols, which you could reasonably get from eating one apple per day. However, the polyphenols were more effective at significantly higher doses [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5789330"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Importantly, people who are allergic to birch pollen may react to apples because these fruits contain proteins similar to those found in birch pollen (this is called cross-reactivity). In a small clinical trial, gradually increasing apple consumption induced birch pollen tolerance. However, the effect disappeared when the participants stopped eating apples [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11167370/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22070352/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Apple polyphenols may shift the immune response away from Th2 and thereby improve allergic inflammation.</span></p>
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437 | content_learn_more_6213717345355139_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your IRF4 is somewhat associated with allergic inflammation. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of allergies; it’s just one gene related to it. Sunlight exposure, vitamin D, and apples may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs11242709,rs9391997
rsStatus = rs11242709,,chr6,209159,C,T,,,26,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs9391997,IRF4,chr6,409119,A,G,,,20,11,HET
