title: Thioredoxin in allergic inflammation.
abstract: Thioredoxin (TRX) is a redox-active protein that regulates reactive oxidative metabolism and plays a crucial role in the antioxidant system in regulating the reduction/oxidation balance by scavenging reactive oxygen species, which is implicated in the mechanism of asthma. As for the mechanisms by which TRX exerts its beneficial effects, some studies have shown that TRX suppresses allergic inflammation in animal models of asthma. Recently, we reported that TRX directly modulated the chemotaxis of eosinophils, which have been shown to play a pivotal role in the mechanism of allergic airway inflammation, in the absence of T helper (Th)1 or Th2 cytokines. Further, serum TRX levels in patients with asthma were significantly increased in patients with attacks compared with those in the asymptomatic period. This review focuses on TRX in allergic reactions and discusses the physiological role of TRX.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection, Allergy, Clinical Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Shigeharu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueki
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kayaba
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yodoi
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chihara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000378:metabolism*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D013879:Thioredoxins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013879:Thioredoxins