Genetic variations in toll-like receptor pathway genes influence asthma and atopy

Autor: Michael Kabesch, Riccardina Tesse, Ramesh Chandra Pandey
Rok vydání: 2010
Předmět:
Zdroj: Allergy. 66:307-316
ISSN: 0105-4538
Popis: Innate immunity is a pivotal defence system of higher organisms. Based on a limited number of receptors, it is capable of recognizing pathogens and to initiate immune responses. Major components of these innate immunity pathogen recognition receptors are the toll-like receptors (TLRs), a family of 11 in humans. They are all membrane bound and through dimerization and complex downstream signaling, TLRs elicit a variety of specific and profound effects. In recent years, the role of TLRs signaling was not only investigated in infection and inflammation but also in allergy. Fuelled by the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that allergies develop because of a change in microbial exposure and associated immune signals early in life, it had been speculated that alterations in TLRs signaling could influence allergy development. Thus, TLR genes, genetic variations of these genes, and their association with asthma and other atopic diseases were investigated in recent years. This review provides an overview of TLR genetics in allergic diseases.
Databáze: OpenAIRE