ABSTRACT
Asthma is a complex multifactorial disease in which allergic sensitization plays an essential role. Sensitivity to indoor allergens is associated with prevalence, severity, and exacerbations of asthma, while exposure to outdoor allergens initiates exacerbations (1,2). A trait for an elevated level of serum IgE is coinherited with bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Thus, there is a second link between IgE and airway inflammation that appears to be independent of specific allergic susceptibility (3).
