ASTHMA and ECZEMA

• Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the small airways of the lungs

• Infantile eczema (atopic dermatitis) is an inflammatory disease of the skin

• Atopic dermatitis, asthma, and hay fever (allergic rhinitis) are all considered part of a common syndrome of atopic diseases

• ‘Atopy’ refers to the presence of IgE-mediated positive skin-test responses to common allergens, such as dust mites. Moreover, these individuals also have increased levels of total IgE in the serum

• Currently, asthma is present in 60% of children with severe atopic dermatitis

• Overall, atopic diseases, such as eczema and asthma, have all increased in frequency in recent decades and now affect about 20% of the population in the developed world. Interestingly, these diseases are rare in under-developed nations

• Both diseases are known to be familial, meaning that they arise from both strong genetic and environmental factors

• Twin and family studies have shown that predisposition to atopic dissease is highly heritable

References: 

Johansson SG et al. A revised nomenclature for allergy. An EAACI position statement from the EAACI nomenclature task force. Allergy 56, 813-824 (2001).