History and allergy

作者：Tonnel A B^*

来源：Revue Francaise d'Allergologie, 2014, 54(3): 170-172.

DOI：10.1016/j.reval.2014.01.005

• History
• Allergy
• Archaeogenetics
• Lactose intolerance

The history of allergy and allergic diseases began much earlier than one can imagine. It has been mentioned since ancient times, in Egypt, the Middle East, Rome, etc. Moreover, we also know of allergic celebrities living in all epochs, going from the Pharaoh Menes to the Roman Britannicus to Marcel Proust, and also including famous Olympic prize winners, in spite of a handicap due to their allergic disease. But the most extraordinary domain is that of archaeogenetics. Thanks to the deciphering of mitochondrial DNA and, more recently, chromosomal DNA from fossils (hominoid or Homo sapiens) or to bodies of Neolithic inhabitants conserved in ice, researchers have been able to trace the migration of modern man from his primitive African home to Europe and Asia Minor, and they have also recognized in these ancient humans traces of a disease which was common in Africa but less frequent in the northern hemisphere, namely, lactose intolerance due to the absence of lactose persistence in adulthood. While a true allergy has not yet been identified in the genome of our ancestors, such an eventual discovery is not impossible to foresee.

• 出版日期2014-4