inflammation & autoimmunity

allergies

RORC

A Connection Between Sleep Cycles and Allergies (RORC)

Written by Jasmine Foster, BSc, BEd on October 30th, 2020

The RORC gene regulates the circadian rhythm and the development of Th17 cells. What is its role in allergies? Read on to learn more.

Summary

RORC encodes retinoic acid related orphan receptor gamma, or ROR-gamma. Variants of RORC may play a role in allergies by boosting Th17 cell production. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by directly blocking ROR-gamma or the Th17 response.

RORC and Allergies

The RORC gene encodes retinoic acid related orphan receptor gamma (ROR-gamma). This protein is mainly expressed in certain types of white blood cells and plays a role in regulating sleep [R, R].

ROR-gamma is required for T cells to develop into T helper 17 (Th17) cells, which produce IL-17, IL-21, and IL-22 cytokines. Th17 cells play an important role in protecting the body from infection; however, poorly regulated Th17 has been associated with inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and allergic asthma [R, R, R].

In rheumatoid arthritis, ROR-gamma may even be a target for future treatments [R].

Because of its essential role in Th17 cell development, researchers have considered ROR-gamma as a target for asthma therapies as well. Some Th2 cells carry ROR-gamma proteins and stimulate the development of Th17 cells, and people with asthma have significantly more of these Th2 cells than the healthy average. It’s possible that blocking ROR-gamma could prevent Th17-triggered inflammation in these cases [R].

Connecting Allergies & Sleep

Researchers are currently investigating a connection between sleep rhythms and allergies. Since ROR-gamma is involved in both, it represents a potential mechanism by which sleep may affect allergic inflammation [R, R].

The circadian rhythm, which is the daily cycle of waking and sleeping, strongly affects the development of Th17 cells, but not Th2 cells. This relationship appears to mirror ROR-gamma, which stimulates Th17 cell production, but not Th2 directly [R, R].

Th17 and Th2 cells regulate each other’s activity and keep each other in balance; dysregulation of this relationship may lead to allergic asthma. The dynamic between sleep cycles, Th17, and Th2 is highly complex, and researchers are still exploring exactly how it works. Nevertheless, ROR-gamma is likely to play a part [R].

RORC encodes ROR-gamma, a protein that regulates both sleep and the production of Th17 cells. It has been implicated in allergic diseases like asthma.

Your RORC Results for Allergies

SNP Table

variant	genotype	frequency	risk allele
rs4845604

RORC rs4845604

‘G’ = Associated with relatively increased allergic inflammation
‘A’ = Possibly protective against allergic inflammation
The ‘A’ allele may decrease ROR-gamma activity, leading to reduced Th17 production [R].

Recommendations

Regular Sleep Schedule

ROR-gamma and the circadian rhythm are closely intertwined, and keeping to a regular sleep schedule may help regulate ROR-gamma [R, R].

Sleep impairments and disorders are significantly more common in people with allergic disorders than in people without. Allergic symptoms like airway inflammation can make it significantly more difficult to get a good night’s sleep; in turn, disturbed sleep can increase inflammation [R, R].

It can be very difficult to get out of the cycle of poor sleep causing inflammation and inflammation contributing to poor sleep. This DNA wellness report can help you find personalized recommendations for improving your sleep cycle. For more general sleep tips, try this SelfHacked post.

Because ROR-gamma and the circadian rhythm are so closely linked, it’s especially important to regulate your sleep cycle if you have detrimental RORC variants.

Probiotic Yogurt

In a clinical study of 75 overweight people, eating yogurt (containing probiotic Lactobacillus strains) every day for eight weeks decreased ROR-gamma activity, among other inflammatory markers [R].

Many Lactobacillus probiotics have produced beneficial results in allergy studies. Probiotics such as L. paracasei, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. casei, and L. gasseri improved allergic rhinitis in multiple trials. Moreover, L. rhamnosus and L. johnsonii enhanced the effectiveness of immunotherapy for allergy to pollen and dust mites [R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R].

In people with asthma, L. salivarius reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines [R, R].

Preliminary research in adults and children with allergy to cow milk suggests that the immunomodulatory activity of L. rhamnosus may help prevent allergic responses. This probiotic also enhanced the effectiveness of immunotherapy for peanut allergy [R, R, R].

Other probiotics may help by fermenting the food proteins that cause allergies. For instance, L. helveticus, L. delbrueckii, and L. fermentum successfully reduced the allergenic potential of cow milk and propolis in several studies [R, R, R, R].

Probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus strains decreased ROR-gamma activity. Lactobacillus probiotics have also been found to improve allergic inflammation.

Astragalus

Astragalus is an herb most commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A study on the mechanisms of certain TCM remedies found that astragalus supplementation reduced ROR-gamma activity [R].

Astragalus improved allergic rhinitis symptoms and quality of life in a small trial of people with seasonal allergy to weed pollen [R].

It also played a role in preventing the recurrence of asthma in children. A combination of astragalus and standard treatment showed even better effects [R].

Astragalus, a common component of traditional Chinese medicine, reduced ROR-gamma activity in one trial and improved allergic symptoms in two others.

Jasmine Foster

BSc, BEd

Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.

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.

Disclaimer

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other official medical body. This information is presented for educational purposes only, and may not be used to diagnose or treat any illness or disease.

Also keep in mind that the “Risk Score” presented in this post is based only on a select number of SNPs, and therefore only represents a small portion of your total risk as an individual. Furthermore, these analyses are based primarily on associational studies, which do not necessarily imply causation. Finally, many other (non-genetic) factors can also play a significant role in the development of a disease or health condition — therefore, carrying any of the risk-associated genotypes discussed in this post does not necessarily mean you are at increased risk of developing a major health condition.

Always consult your doctor before acting on any information or recommendations discussed in this post — especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have been officially diagnosed with a medical condition.

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