Inflammation in allergic asthma: initiating events, immunological response and risk factors.

Allergic asthma affects 155 million people worldwide. Currently, it is a disease that can be controlled by diverse therapeutic approaches but that cannot be cured. This means that asthma is one of the most expensive diseases for healthcare systems in developed countries. Efficient prevention strategies are therefore greatly needed to reduce both individual morbidity and national economic burdens. This requires a detailed knowledge of the immunological and physiological mechanisms involved in asthma. This review synthesizes current understanding about the immunobiology of IgE-mediated asthma. It discusses the initiating events, the main immunological and inflammatory processes, and addresses the importance of risk factors in the development and maintenance of allergic diseases. Finally, it integrates these concepts in a theoretical causal model for atopic asthma.