It is well known that patients with allergies, especially asthma, have higher serum IgE levels compared to non-allergic subjects [481, 482] but abnormally higher IgE levels have also been described in a variety of diseases such as helminthiases, primary and secondary immunodeficiencies, graft versus host disease, chronic infections and neoplasms. The gene discussed is IGHE; the disease is echinococcosis.