Scientists from a Scottish university have made a major breakthrough which could help ease suffering for tens of thousands of people with debilitating skin complaints.

The team has broken down the mutated gene which causes eczema, allowing it to pinpoint faults which are specific to different ethnic groups. This, in turn, could help make it easier to target treatments.

Researchers at Dundee University have discovered 15 mutations of the gene which is responsible for the condition, and identified which ones are more prevalent in British and Irish people.

Professor Irwin McLean, who is leading the research programme, said a combination of hard work, luck and a concerted effort led to successful results. The latest breakthrough is the team's second in the space of a year, bringing hope for sufferers one step closer.

Last year the team discovered that the mutated gene, which is carried by five million people in Britain, produced a protein called filaggrin which causes inflamed skin. Now the latest research into breaking down the mutations has shown five of them were prevalent in European patients with 9% of the population believed to carry the defect.

Two of the mutations were prevalent in those tested from Oriental backgrounds.

Professor McLean and his team from Dundee University's College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, worked in collaboration with Alan Irvine from Dublin. They developed the latest research from last year's discovery of the gene which also causes other skin conditions, asthma and related allergies such as hayfever.

Those with one mutation have a 60% chance of developing eczema and those with two are almost 100% likely to have the condition.

It is thought the filaggrin gene will be found to be a major factor in skin disorders around the world. Eczema is suffered by 20% of UK children and studies have shown a similar percentage affected in other countries.

Professor McLean said: "This is the most exciting and fast-moving project we have been involved in and the lab is buzzing with excitement."

The gene has been found to be present in half of the most difficult to treat cases of eczema in Britain and Ireland.

Filaggrin, which is normally found in the outer layers of the skin, provides a preventative barrier. In the mutated genes filaggrin is missing which causes inflammation.

Mutations to the filaggrin genes, which come in pairs, are thought to damage the outer layers of the skin, allowing the entry of allergens which drive the immune system haywire.

The filaggrin gene comes in pairs and a mutation to one gene is enough to cause ichthyosis vulgaris, a dry, scaly skin. If both genes are faulty, the problems lead to eczema, asthma, and, it is suspected, hayfever and peanut allergy.

It is hoped the research, to be published in Nature magazine, will lead to more effective treatments and preventative measures in babies.

Allergic conditions such as eczema, hayfever and food intolerances have increased dramatically. Up to 40% of the UK population are thought to have some form of allergy.