Endotoxins, asthma, and allergic immune responses

Data
2000-11-02
Tipo
Artigo
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Resumo
Asthma severity depends to a great extent on the levels of endotoxin present in the microenvironment. Although favouring a Th1 cytokine response that could be beneficial to the asthmatic, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) aggravates bronchopulmonary inflammation by several mechanisms. These include neutrophil and eosinophil recruitment, and release by activated macrophages of pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide. LPS exerts its biological actions through its interaction with CD14. The genetic locus of CD14 is close to the genomic region controlling levels of IgE. A polymorphism in the CD14 promoter region seems to favour high serum IgE levels. Genetic influences may thus control circulating levels of sCD14 and by this mechanism modulate Th1/Th2 balance and IgE synthesis. LPS exposure, although hazardous to the asthmatic, seems to exert a role in the maturation of the immune system in children towards a Th1-skewed pattern. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Descrição
Citação
Toxicology. Clare: Elsevier Ireland Ltd, v. 152, n. 1-3, p. 31-35, 2000.
Coleções