A major new study involving Irish scientists has highlighted the key role genes play in the skin condition, eczema.

Eczema is a group of skin complaints that can affect all age groups and can occur anywhere on the body. Itching and inflammation of the skin occurs and the most common type of eczema, known as atopic eczema, results in an itchy, scaly, weepy red rash. One in five children in Ireland is affected.

It is already known that genes play a key role in determining who is likely to develop eczema, but most of the genes that cause it have not been identified yet.

However, a group of international scientists, including a team from Trinity College Dublin (TCD), have now carried out the largest genetic study of the skin condition to date. They have combined data on 377,000 people who have been involved in 40 studies worldwide.

Using a technique called ‘genome-wide association analysis', they have looked at the genomes (complete set of DNA) of all 377,000 people in an attempt to identify small changes (variants) in the genes that are commonly found in people with eczema.

Through their work, they have identified 10 new variants, bringing the total number of variants known to be associated with eczema to 31.

The scientists noted that all of these new genetic variants have a common role in regulating the immune system, which means new therapies could be potentially targeted at them.

They have also found some evidence of genetic overlap between eczema and other diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Studying these conditions together could provide important information on how they work. Potential new treatments could also be identified.

"These new findings, gained through international collaboration with hundreds of thousands of patients in multiple countries, show the importance of genes in both the immune system and the skin barrier in the causation of eczema," commented lead TCD researcher, Prof Alan Irvine.

While the scientists acknowledged that the variants identified do not determine whether someone will develop eczema, they simply increase the risk, ‘they do give new insights into important disease mechanisms'.

"Through ongoing research in this area, these findings could be turned into treatments of the future," added Dr Lavinia Paternoster of Bristol University.

For more information on eczema, see our Eczema Clinic here