Instead of highlighting the best paper in 2007, I decided to nominate now the most under valued paper in 2007. There are so many interesting (and probably highly important) studies that do not get enough initial attention and consecutively fail to enter the high citation track. Here is one of these papers that is as interesting as on the day of publication: Continue reading Forgotten papers: Allergy origins in the gut
Tag Archives: innate_immune_system
Lymphopoetin and allergy
This is to convince me that the thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a master switch in allergy
Skin-specific overexpression of TSLP resulted in an AD-like phenotype, with the development of eczematous lesions containing inflammatory dermal cellular infiltrates, a dramatic increase in Th2 CD4+ T cells expressing cutaneous homing receptors, and elevated serum levels of IgE.
Topical application of the physiologically active ligand [1{alpha},25-(OH)2D3; calcitriol] of the vitamin D receptor, or of its low-calcemic analog MC903 (calcipotriol; Dovonex), induces TSLP expression in epidermal keratinocytes, which results in an atopic dermatitis-like syndrome.
TSLP, synergistically with interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor, stimulates the production of high levels of Th2 cytokines by human mast cells (MCs) … TSLP is released by primary epithelial cells in response to certain microbial products, physical injury, or inflammatory cytokines.
Proinflammatory TNFalpha or IL-1alpha and Th2 (IL-4 or IL-13) cytokines synergized to induce the production of TSLP in human skin explants … Our data provide the first evidence of TSLP induction and subsequent DC activation in human skin.
Mice with an IEC[intestinal epithelial cell]-specific deletion of IKKbeta show a reduced expression of the epithelial-cell-restricted cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin in the intestine and, after infection with the gut-dwelling parasite Trichuris, fail to develop a pathogen-specific CD4+ T helper type 2 (TH2) response and are unable to eradicate infection. Further, these animals show exacerbated production of dendritic-cell-derived interleukin-12/23p40.
… (TSLP) and interleukin-7 share a common receptor chain, IL-7Rα … The gene encoding the IL-7Rα chain is polymorphic, and investigation of inhalation allergic patients compared with controls showed significant association with two alleles at position +1237 and +2087.
… TSLP represents a master switch of allergic inflammation at the epithelial cell and dendritic cell interface.