title: Virus/allergen interactions in asthma.
abstract: Understanding the underlying mechanisms that cause and exacerbate allergic asthmatic disease is of great clinical interest. Clinical studies have revealed that allergies and viral respiratory illnesses are strongly linked to the inception and exacerbation of asthma, and suggest the possibility that there are interactive inflammatory mechanisms. Recent work has revealed a number of mechanisms of virus and allergen cross-talk that may play a role in the pathophysiology of allergic asthma, including (1) deficiency in virus-induced interferon responses, (2) defective epithelial barrier function, (3) increased release of epithelium-derived cytokines (e.g., thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin (IL)-25, IL-33), (4) dysregulation of lymphocytes [e.g., innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), regulatory T cells (Tregs)], and (5) altered activation of purinergic receptors. One or more of these processes may provide targets for new therapeutics to treat allergic asthma and prevent disease exacerbation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. mgavala@medicine.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Monica L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gavala
authors.forename: Hiba
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bashir
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gern
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000821:virology*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D016207:Cytokines