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James A. MacLean, MD; Frank J. Eidelman, MD

Arch Dermatol. 2001;137:1474-1476.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

A genetic predisposition to the development of certain allergic diseases has been recognized since the early 1900s. In 1916, Cooke and van der Veer¹ reported that almost 50% of patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma had a positive family history of similar illness. In 1923, Coca and Cooke² coined the term atopy to describe immediate hypersensitivity reactions that had an inherited tendency. Their classification scheme was later criticized because of the mistaken belief that atopic diseases were transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion. Coca and Cooke believed that reaginic (allergic) antibodies played a central role in disease pathogenesis, although they failed to recognize that these reactions were dependent on antigen-antibody interactions. Nonetheless, the term atopy has persisted in the medical literature and is often used synonymously with the terms allergy and immediate hypersensitivity. Consensus regarding a precise definition for atopy is . . . [Full Text of this Article]

From the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Dr MacLean); and the Department of Allergy and Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Fort Lauderdale (Dr Eidelman).