asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs and more than 100 loci have been identified as contributing to the development and severity of the condition. by using the traditional linkage analysis, these asthma correlated genes were able to be identified in small quantities using genome-wide association studies (gwas). there have been a number of studies looking into various polymorphisms of asthma-associated genes and how those polymorphisms interact with the carrier's environment. one example is the gene cd14, which is known to have a polymorphism that is associated with increased amounts of cd14 protein as well as reduced levels of ige serum. a study was conducted on 624 children looking at their ige serum levels as it related to the polymorphism in cd14. the study found that ige serum levels differed in children with the c allele in the cd14/-260 gene based on the type of allergens they regularly exposed to. children who were in regular contact with house pets showed higher serum levels of ige while children who were regularly exposed to stable animals showed lower serum levels of ige. continued research into gene-environment interactions may lead to more specialized treatment plans based on an individual's surroundings.