The role of airway dendritic cell populations in regulation of T-cell responses to inhaled antigens: atopic asthma as a paradigm.
Chronic atopic asthma in adulthood represents the end stage of a disease process that is initiated during the perinatal period, when the naive immune system is first confronted with potentially allergenic airborne antigens. The initial phase involves compartmentalization of immunological memory into either the T-helper (Th)-1 or Th2 cytokine phenotypes, in atopic and nonatopics, respectively, and in a subset of atopics, this results in chronic Th2 cytokine-driven inflammation in the airways. Dendritic cells appear to play a key role in directing the memory generation process, and in subsequently controlling the intensity and duration of the ensuing Th-cell responses responsible for this inflammation.
Division of Cell Biology, TVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, Western Australia 6872, Australia. patrick@ichr.uwa.edu.au
Patrick G
PG
Holt
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000941:Antigens; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D010641:Phenotype; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D016207:Cytokines