title: The role of immune tolerance in asthma pathogenesis.
abstract: Immune-mediated tolerance encompasses a wide spectrum of mechanisms that can prevent unnecessary and potentially harmful inflammatory responses. An increasing number of scientific publications provide proof for the concept that an impairment of immune-tolerance mechanisms might be causally related to the development of unwanted Th2-driven, allergen-induced airway diseases. In this review, we discuss immune tolerance and the evidence supporting its role in asthma pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University Hospital, Department of Respiratory Diseases, Gent, Belgium. Kurt.tournoy@UGENT.be
authors.forename: Kurt G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Tournoy
authors.forename: Sharen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Provoost
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Hove
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors