The risk allele confers lower transcriptional activity, suggesting that rs72696969 might increase predisposition for atopic dermatitis through down-modulating the expression of FLG (Supplementary Fig. 6e), a protein essential for epidermal barrier formation that is strongly linked to atopic dermatitis risk, and which is also mutated in the monogenic skin disorder ichthyosis vulgaris7. This evidence concerns the gene FLG and atopic eczema.