title: Apoptosis in tissue inflammation and allergic disease.
abstract: Genetic predisposition and environmental instructions tune thresholds for the activation, effector functions and lifespan of T cells, other inflammatory cells and resident tissue cells. Defects in apoptosis and peripheral tolerance in T cells define different allergic phenotypes. In individuals with atopic allergic disease, activated allergen-specific T cells expressing high levels of IFN-gamma predominantly undergo apoptosis in the circulation, skewing the immune response to surviving T helper type 2 (Th2) cells. In affected tissues, these cells switch on effector cytokines and induce the activation and apoptosis of epithelial cells. In individuals with non-atopic monoallergic disease, by contrast, a disturbed balance towards allergen-specific Th2 cells instead of T regulatory type 1 (Tr1) cells characterizes the T cell response.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research, Obere Strasse 22, CH-7270 Davos, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Cezmi A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Akdis
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: Mübeccel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akdis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology