In the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Dr. Deborah Gentile and colleagues at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh note infants exposed to second-hand smoke produce decreased amounts of interleukin-10, an anti-inflammation protein that may protect against asthma and allergies, new research shows. They also note that exposure to second-hand smoke is a known risk factor for the development of childhood asthma. They therefore hypothesized that there might be an association between smoke exposure in early childhood and diminished interleukin-10 production. SOURCE: Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, April 2004.