Bronchial asthma: lack of relationships between allergic factors, illness severity and psychosocial variables in adult patients attending an asthma clinic.

The relationships between illness severity, allergy as indicated by serum total immunoglobulin E, and various psychological and social factors were studied in 66 adult asthmatics. No substantial relationships were found between these factors. An earlier onset of illness before 3 years was associated with a higher serum IgE. These results do not support the commonly held concept that asthma is a 'psychosomatic' disorder.