Here we conduct a gene-based analysis of variants in type 2 cytokine related genes (i.e. IL4, 5, 13, 25, 33 and 37, IL17RB, CRLF2 and TSLP) as risk factors for allergic asthma at school age and study their interaction with specific viral infections in early childhood (Table 1). Here, IL17RB is linked to allergic asthma.