Susanne Lau

TL;DR: Early wheeze and a specific sensitization pattern were significant predictors for wheezing at school age, irrespective of AD, and the prognosis is mostly determined by the severity and the presence of atopic sensitization.

TL;DR: In this paper, the relevance of mite and cat allergen exposure for the development of childhood asthma up to age 7 years was assessed in a prospective birth-cohort study.

TL;DR: The data indicate that avoidance measures in the domestic environment aimed at the primary prevention of allergen-driven sensitization should be introduced at the earliest possible stage, if possible during infancy.

TL;DR: The data do not support the hypothesis that exposure to environmental allergens directly causes asthma in childhood but that induction of specific IgE responses and the development of childhood asthma are determined by independent factors.

TL;DR: The aims of this review are to explain the methodology of genetic studies of multifactorial diseases, to summarize chromosomal regions and polymorphisms in candidate genes linked to or associated with asthma and associated traits, and to outline genetic factors that may render individuals more susceptible to asthma and atopy due to environmental changes.