Atopy
Atopy (pron. {ay-top-pee}); Greek ἀτοπία - placelessness, out of place, special, unusual, extraordinary) or atopic syndrome is a predisposition toward developing certain allergic hypersensitivity[1] reactions. Atopy may have a hereditary component, although contact with the allergen must occur before the hypersensitivity reaction can develop.[2] The term "atopy" was coined by Coca and Cooke in 1923.[3][4] Many physicians and scientists use the term "atopy" for any IgE-mediated reaction (even those that are appropriate and proportional to the antigen), but many pediatricians reserve the word "atopy" for a genetically mediated predisposition to an excessive IgE reaction.[5] |