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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
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Progress in understanding postnatal immune dysregulation in allergic disease
Susan L Prescott1, David Martino, Megan Hodder
1School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
The World Allergy Organization Journal
|December 27, 2012
Summary
Allergic diseases stem from altered immune gene patterns, not isolated defects, influenced by environmental factors like diet and pollution. Early life immune development shows distinct differences in children with allergies, impacting T-cell and toll-like receptor responses.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Environmental Health
- Genetics
Background:
- Allergic disease pathogenesis is increasingly linked to complex gene-environment interactions rather than simple immune defects.
- Environmental factors such as microbial exposure, diet, and pollutants significantly impact immune development from pregnancy onwards.
- Epigenetic mechanisms are emerging as key mediators of these environmental influences on immune programming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in understanding the effects of environmental exposures on postnatal immune development in children.
- To highlight differences in immune development, specifically T-cell and innate immune responses, between children with and without allergies.
- To explore the role of regulatory T-cells and gene-environment interactions in allergy pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing whole genome microarrays to analyze differential gene expression in T-cells of individuals with allergies.
- Conducting longitudinal studies on innate toll-like receptor responses in children during the first five years of life.
- Investigating regulatory T-cell function using thymic tissue from pediatric cardiac surgery patients.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in longitudinal T-cell development and gene expression patterns observed in children with allergies.
- Distinct longitudinal development of innate toll-like receptor responses identified in children with and without allergies.
- Preliminary differences in regulatory T-cell function at birth noted, with thymic tissue offering a viable source for further study.
Conclusions:
- Allergic diseases result from complex alterations in immune networks driven by gene-environment interactions.
- Early-life environmental exposures critically shape immune development, leading to distinct immune profiles in allergic individuals.
- Future research must integrate gene-environment interactions to fully elucidate allergy pathogenesis and susceptibility.
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