Thus, overproduction of IL-5 in OME is associated with the atopic background of patients, and IL-5 together with IL-4 is responsible for an allergic type of inflammation in the middle ear (Fig. 6) . This assumption was confirmed in an experimental model of OME, 112 where the late-phase allergic inflammatory response was prevented by pretreatment with IL-5 antibodies or soluble receptors for IL-4.