title: [Neonatal tolerance to alloantigens].
abstract: In early life, our immune system has the characteristics of tolerance to alloantigens. During this period, our adaptive immunity is not at rest. On the contrary, it is polarized so as to promote the activation of Th2-type T cell response at the expense of cytotoxic Th1- or Th17-type responses. This may explain the vulnerability of infants to aggression by pathogens, their increased sensitivity to develop allergic diseases or their poor responses to some vaccines. Exposure to environmental factors will modify that neonatal tolerance due to its control by other actors and will thus have potential repercussions on the subsequent onset of allergies or autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institut d'immunologie médicale, Université libre de Bruxelles, 8, rue Adrienne Bolland, 6041 Gosselies, Belgique.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Flamand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007519:Isoantigens