Effects of allergens: Beyond IgE

Abstract

Discussion: These studies demonstrate that allergens can act as auto-adjuvants to upregulate IgE synthesis. Some may also lead directly to infl ammatory mediator generation in the absence of specifi c IgE. Comments Der p 2 is a lipid-binding protein with homology binding to MD-2 (LY96), the lipopolysaccharide component of the TLR4 complex. Trompette et al. showed that Der p 2 can replace the functionality of MD-2 and then act as an auto-adjuvant. Because many major allergens are thought to be lipid-binding proteins as well, this suggests that the intrinsic adjuvant activity of such proteins and their lipids may be a fundamental mechanism for their allergenicity. Barrett et al. demonstrated that activation of dectin-2, a c-type lectin receptor, by extracts of Df results in innate immune cell products (cysteinyl leukotrienes) that promote allergic infl ammation. The results of these interesting experiments enhance our understanding of the mechanisms involved in allergic responses and may ultimately lead to novel therapeutic approaches.