Regulatory T Cells (Treg) Therapeutic Application

treg
An emerging concept is that pro-inflammatory signals lead to loss of Regulatory T Cells (Treg) function. Pasare and Medzhitov (2003) demonstrated that activation of DCs through TLRs led to the production of signals, including IL-6, which blocked the suppressive effect of CD4+CD25+ Treg. Subsequent studies support these observations. For example in a mouse model of allergic airway disease, IL-6 is proposed to act via two mechanisms to promote disease: direct enhancement of Th2 responses and by overcoming the suppressive function of CD4+CD25+ Treg. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as well as IL-7 and IL-15 have also been proposed to overcome regulatory activity in other human immunologic diseases. (more…)

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Foxp3 Forkhead Winged Transcription Factor & Mechanisms Of Suppression

foxp3
The intracellular forkhead winged transcription factor Foxp3 (forkhead box P3) appears to be specifically expressed by naturally occurring Treg cells, particularly in mice, although in humans there is evidence of upregulation of Foxp3 in all T cells on activation. Foxp3 is required for the development and function of naturally occurring regulatory t cells (treg) and expression is sufficient to convert non-regulatory CD4+CD25T cells into cells with regulatory activity. Conversion of peripheral CD4+CD25 naive T cells to Foxp3+CD4+CD25 foxp3+ Treg cells can be induced by TGF-ß. In a murine asthma model, these TGF-ß-induced Treg prevented house-dust mite-induced allergic pathogenesis or infection pathogenesis in lungs. A single independent report has suggested that IL-4 and IL-13 also induce Foxp3+CD25+ Treg from CD4+CD25precursors. (more…)

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Allergic Responses Prevention: Regulatory T Cells (Treg)

Regulatory T Cells
The induction of immune tolerance and specific immune suppression are essential processes in the control of immune responses. Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a central role in immune control in the periphery. Two broad categories of Treg have been described: naturally occurring Treg that are present in all individuals and antigen-induced Treg that secrete inhibitory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-10 and/or transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß. (more…)

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Calcineurin Inhibitors Pharmacokinetics in Adult Atopic Dermatitis

Calcineurin Inhibitors Pharmacokinetics
The pharmacokinetics of pimecrolimus cream 1% and tacrolimus ointment 0.1% in adults with extensive, moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, including systemic absorption, has relevance to patient safety and drug efficacy. Past pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated that most patients with atopic dermatitis treated with topical calcineurin inhibitors experience negligible systemic absorption, resulting in low or undetectable blood concentrations of the active compound, but have not compared these two agents directly. (more…)


Tacrolimus Ointment Treatments With Moderate To Severe Atopic Dermatitis

tacrolimus atopic dermatitis
Topical corticosteroids are the usual therapy for patients with atopic dermatitis, but prolonged use can result in skin atrophy and other side effects. The long-term safety and efficacy of tacrolimus would prove an attractive alternative. Long-term treatment with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment is significantly more efficacious than a corticosteroid ointment regimen in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. (more…)

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T-Cell Immunoglobulin Mucin 1 Genetic Variants And Associated With Asthma In An African-American Population

T-Cell Immunoglobulin
The Tcell Ig domain and mucin domain (TIM) proteins, the genes for which are located on chromosome 5q, have been suggested to be involved in allergic disease. This study examined allergies genetic association of sequence variants of the TIM1 and TIM3 genes in an African-American population. Case–control and family based association analyses were performed for three SNPs each in the TIM1 and TIM3 genes, and an insertion/deletion polymorphism in Tcell Ig domain and mucin domain 1. (more…)

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Tacrolimus Ointment Treatment In Severe Atopic Dermatitis

Tacrolimus Ointment
Topical corticosteroids are the usual therapy for patients with atopic dermatitis, but prolonged use can result in skin atrophy and other side effects. The long-term safety and efficacy of tacrolimus ointment would prove an attractive alternative. Long-term treatment with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment is significantly more efficacious than a corticosteroid ointment regimen in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. (more…)

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Respiratory Allergies Caused by Air Pollution

The geographical variation in the prevalence of asthma in children does not coincide with variations in air pollution levels. The increase in the prevalence of asthma and allergies seen over the last decades was paralleled by a decrease in emissions of SO2 and particles from coal combustion, and an increase of emissions from motor vehicle traffic. There is a growing number of studies suggesting that increased exposure to traffic exhausts, particularly diesel exhausts, may be a risk factor for the new onset of asthma. (more…)

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Atopic Dermatitis Risk Factors in Children at 3.5 Years Of Age

Atopic Dermatitis Children
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is increasing in Western societies. The hygiene hypothesis proposes that this is due to reduced exposure to environmental allergens and infections during early life. The authors examined factors associated with a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis at 3.5 years of age, especially those factors implicated by the hygiene hypothesis. The Auckland Birthweight Collaborative study is a case–control study of risk factors for small-for-gestational-age babies. Cases were born at term with birth weight at or below the 10th centile; controls were appropriate for gestational age, with birth weight above the 10th centile. (more…)

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Prevalence of Childhood Asthma and Allergies

Asthma is a complex syndrome rather than a single disease entity. Different phenotypes with varying prognosis and determinants have been described, particularly over childhood years 2 and will be discussed in detail in the following. For example, transient early wheezing is characterized by the occurrence of wheezing in infants up to the age of 2 to 3 years which disappears thereafter. The main predictor of these wheezing illnesses is premorbid reduced lung function before the manifestation of any wheeze. These decrements in pulmonary function are in part determined by passive smoke exposure in utero 4 and result in symptoms of airway obstruction when infants get infected with respiratory viruses. (more…)

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