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Update in Allergy and Immunology
2006 Series: Update Sessions from ACP's 2006 Annual Session
In this Update, 10 academic allergy and immunology specialists helped select, from 20 journals, papers published in 2005 that provided the greatest insight into the mechanisms and treatment of allergic and immune disorders. The papers are categorized into 3 themes: mechanisms of allergic disease, with insight into pathogenesis or treatment; therapy for allergic disease, including controversial or novel approaches for allergy treatment; and immune deficiency, with particular insight into the pathogenesis of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).
Mechanisms of Allergic Disease
Pollen-Induced Oxidative Stress Contributes to Allergic Airway Inflammation
Plant pollens contain antigenic proteins that can induce Th2 lymphocyte–mediated immune responses (1). T-helper 2 (Th2) lymphocytes are a subset of helper T cells that produce cytokines (for example, interleukin-4 [IL-4], IL-5, and IL-13) associated with IgE production and allergic inflammation (2). Activation of Th2 lymphocyte–mediated reactions by pollen can trigger allergic rhinitis and asthma in people who were previously sensitized to pollen. Constituents in pollen, besides proteins, may contribute to allergic responses (3). One such plant cell constituent is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, which helps the plant defend against pathogens and plays a role in root hair growth during germination (4, 5). Although NADPH oxidase is beneficial for plant cells, it could induce oxidative cellular stress in human airway epithelia by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thereby contribute to inflammation.
Boldogh and colleagues wanted to determine whether pollen contains NADPH oxidase and, if so, whether the NADPH oxidase could induce oxidative stress in airway epithelial cells and modulate allergic airway inflammation.
The authors analyzed 40 pollen extracts from trees, grasses, and weeds for the presence of NADPH oxidase activity. They found that all the pollen extracts contained NADPH oxidase except pine pollen, a finding that is consistent with the observation that pine pollen usually does not induce …
