Abstract
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by bronchial hyperreactivity, eosinophilic airway inflammation, and high titers of immunoglobulin (Ig)-E. Epidemiological studies have shown the prevalence of allergic diseases, including asthma, is on the rise. One of the accepted explanations for this phenomenon is the Hygiene Hypothesis, in which the lower exposure to infectious disease, t…