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The epidemic of asthma: too much allergen or not enough infection?
Author(s) -
Abramaon Michael J,
Walters E Haydn
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2000.tb127935.x
Subject(s) - asthma , immunology , atopy , hygiene hypothesis , medicine , allergen , immune system , airway hyperresponsiveness , allergy
Asthma has generally been thought to result from exposure to allergens in infancy leading to atopy, and eventually to airway hyperresponsiveness. There is now evidence that implicates absence of childhood infections as a factor in development of asthma. Childhood infections seem to be important in normal maturation of the immune system, with asthma a manifestation of a persistent “immature” immune system.