The Toll-like receptor 5 ligand flagellin promotes asthma by priming allergic responses to indoor allergens.

ABSTRACT: Allergic asthma is a complex disease characterized by eosinophilic pulmonary inflammation, mucus production and reversible airway obstruction. Exposure to indoor allergens is a risk factor for asthma, but this disease is also associated with high household levels of total and particularly Gram-negative bacteria. The ability of bacterial products to act as adjuvants suggests they might promote asthma by priming allergic sensitization to inhaled allergens. In support of this idea, house dust extracts (HDEs) can activate antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro and promote allergic sensitization to inhaled innocuous proteins in vivo. It is unknown which microbial products provide most of the adjuvant activity in HDEs. A screen for adjuvant activity of microbial products revealed that

SUBMITTER: Wilson RH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3493750 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature