The familial incidence of allergic disease.

The familial incidence of asthma, hay fever, recurrent rhinitis, recurrent bronchitis, eczema and urticaria was studied in 176 normal families. When these diseases, with the exception of urticaria, were present in a parent there was an increase in prevalence of the same disease in the child. This suggests that there is a heritable component in the end organ most easily sensitized in the allergic response.