title: Immunology of Allergy.
abstract: Immune reactions, presumably developed to rid organisms of troublesome invaders, are rather frequently associated with responses that result in injury to host tissue. Such responses are manifestations of allergy or hypersensitivity, and involve antibodies of certain immunoglobulin classes, complement components, mast cells and basophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and various pharmacologic mediators and other soluble substances in an exuberant array of possible combinations. An understanding of clinical hypersensitivity diseases is aided by classifying basic allergic mechanisms into four main types: anaphylactic (Type I), cytotoxic (Type II), complex-mediated (Type III), and cell-mediated (Type IV), which may participate in various combinations in disease states.
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens; D000707:Anaphylaxis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007136:Immunoglobulins