Correlations between IgG4-related disease and allergic reactions: implications for future therapeutic strategies

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic multi-organ immune fibroinflammatory disorder. It can affect almost any organ, with the primary treatment being corticosteroids, sometimes supplemented with conventional immunosuppressants or biological agents, such as rituximab therapy. The occurrence of this disease is associated with aberrant adaptive immune responses, but its specific pathological mechanisms remain unclear. Patients with IgG4-RD often have allergic diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, and urticaria.Allergic reactions and IgG4-RD may share similar pathological mechanisms, including activation of Th2 immune responses, excessive secretion of IgG4 and IgE, and increased blood/tissue eosinophils. The aim of this article is to review the allergy-like characteristics of IgG4-RD and emphasise the potential of allergy-targeted therapies in the treatment of IgG4-RD patients.