In some cases, sufferers from allergic disease were found by Bennich and Johansson10 to have concentrations of circulating IgE of up to 5 μg/ml and it was therefore suggested that antigen-independent (“cytokinergic”) IgE action may play a part in the pathophysiology of allergic diseases4, 11, 12. The gene discussed is IGHE; the disease is allergic disease.