Comparisons of Allergenic and Metazoan Parasite Proteins: Allergy the Price of Immunity.

ABSTRACT: Allergic reactions can be considered as maladaptive IgE immune responses towards environmental antigens. Intriguingly, these mechanisms are observed to be very similar to those implicated in the acquisition of an important degree of immunity against metazoan parasites (helminths and arthropods) in mammalian hosts. Based on the hypothesis that IgE-mediated immune responses evolved in mammals to provide extra protection against metazoan parasites rather than to cause allergy, we predict that the environmental allergens will share key properties with the metazoan parasite antigens that are specifically targeted by IgE in infected human populations. We seek to test this prediction by examining if significant similarity exists between molecular features of allergens and helminth proteins that i

SUBMITTER: Tyagi N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4626114 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature