title: Epigenetics--the key to understand immune responses in health and disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Development of alternative CD4(+) T cells provides flexibility to the immune system. This is crucial for the initiation of appropriate effector mechanisms to protect against various pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, tumors, and parasites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of research on the epigenetic regulation of T-cell subsets.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Studies of the epigenetic modulation of T-cell subset function/dysfunction during the past years have increased our understanding of how the alternative effector populations arise and how their identity is maintained during clonal expansion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The recent advances in epigenetic research within the field of immunology have also raised questions on how immunology is regulated during pregnancy and early life and how epigenetic regulation of the immune system during prenatal development is related to diseases later in life such as autoimmunity and allergy.
authors: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine, Unit of Clinical Allergy Research, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Peter C
authors: PC
authors: Janson
authors: Ola
authors: O
authors: Winqvist
mesh_terms: D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D057890:Epigenomics; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*