439 | id == 439
439 | category_id == 26
439 | category_order == 23
439 | category_name == Allergies
439 | category_color == #C47AC0
439 | slug == MICA-MICB-allergies
439 | title == A Gene that Activates Natural Killer Cells in Allergies (MICA))
439 | meta_description == MICA encodes an important immune regulator that may play a role in allergic sensitization. Which variants do you carry?
439 | summary == <p><strong><em>MICA</em><em>&nbsp;</em>encodes an important immune regulator&nbsp;that may play a role in allergic sensitization. Which variants do you carry? Find out here.</strong></p>
439 | overall_score_text == Your Allergy Score (based on MICA Gene)
439 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/MICB-MICA-Allergies.jpg
439 | author_id == 1
439 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
439 | author_title == BSc, BEd
439 | author_order == 36
439 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
439 | 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>
439 | reviewer == None
439 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
439 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
439 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
439 | publish_date == 2020
439 | publish_date == 10
439 | publish_date == 27
439 | avg_rating == 5.0
439 | tags_id == 860
439 | tags_name == Allergic Diseases
439 | tags_id == 97
439 | tags_name == Allergies
439 | tags_id == 422
439 | tags_name == HLA complex
439 | tags_id == 72
439 | tags_name == HLA Genes
439 | tags_id == 95
439 | tags_name == Immune System
439 | tags_id == 884
439 | tags_name == Major Histocompatibility Complex
439 | tags_id == 882
439 | tags_name == MICA Gene
439 | tags_id == 883
439 | tags_name == MICB Gene
439 | tags_id == 885
439 | tags_name == Natural Killer Cells
439 | permissions_favorite == False
439 | permissions_rate == False
439 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">MICA encodes MHC class I chain-related gene A. One variant of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MICA</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">may play a role in allergies by altering the activity of natural killer cells. Specific approaches may counteract the effect of this variant by reducing MIC activity and preventing allergic sensitization.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>MICA</em></strong><strong> and Allergies</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/mica/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MICA </span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene encodes </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">MHC class I</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> chain-related gene A, a member of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene family. It's closely related to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. HLAs are proteins or antigens on the surface of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/how-to-increase-and-decrease-white-blood-cells/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">white blood cells</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that help flag and remove external agents that may harm the body or cause infections [</span><a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/comments/S1471-4906(01)01960-3"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/HLA-B"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">HLA genes come in many different forms, and there are millions of their possible combinations. Their diversity ensures the protection against a wide array of external threats, but it can be a double-edged sword: some variants correlate with autoimmune and allergic disorders [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5748415/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647156/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4077410/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, one variant that affects MICA activity</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been associated with allergic sensitization [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4922420/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The MIC proteins appear to activate </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/intro-natural-killer-cells-increase-decrease/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">natural killer</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (NK) cells, which are believed to help control the immune response against specific allergens. </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MICA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;may affect the development of allergies through natural killer cells, though additional research is needed to explore this mechanism [</span><a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/comments/S1471-4906(01)01960-3"><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;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MICA</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene, a member of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene family, helps regulate the activity of natural killer cells and has been implicated in autoimmune and allergic disorders.</span></span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>MICA </em></strong><strong>Results for Allergies</strong></h2> <p>*7686811699028140*</p> <p><strong>MICA </strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs6932730/"><strong>rs6932730</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively increased allergic sensitization</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Possibly protective against allergic sensitization</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele may decrease the likelihood of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MICA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> producing an immune response to an otherwise harmless allergen [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4922420/">R</a>, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4922420/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ul> <p>*7120897426914663*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Preventing Allergies</strong></h2> <p>*9352697667286346*</p> <h3><strong>Sunlight &amp; Vitamin D</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D has been found to significantly decrease </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MICA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> activity</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;in a lab setting [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6789271/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21948571/"><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. 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;">Vitamin D may significantly decrease <em>MICA</em> activity</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and vitamin D deficiency is common in people with allergic disorders.</span></span></p>
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439 | content_snp_table_7686811699028140_hidden == False
439 | content_learn_more_7120897426914663_key == 7120897426914663
439 | content_learn_more_7120897426914663_blur == True
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439 | content_learn_more_7120897426914663_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your MICA and MICB genes are somewhat associated with allergic sensitization. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of allergies; it’s just one gene related to it. Sunlight, vitamin D, and coffee may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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439 | content_recommendation_9352697667286346_blur == True
439 | content_recommendation_9352697667286346_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs6932730
rsStatus = rs6932730,,chr6,31386405,T,C,,,12,3,HET
