ABSTRACT
Asthma is a common respiratory disease characterized by chronic inflam-
mation of the airways, airflow obstruction that is often reversible either spontaneously or with treatment, and increased airway responsiveness to
a variety of stimuli (1). A significant proportion of individuals with asthma
are sensitized to at least one allergen (atopic). Although potential environ-
mental causes of asthma and its intermediate phenotypes have been studied
for years, only recently has significant progress been made in identifying
genes responsible for susceptibility to asthma.
