Figure 1: Pathophysiology of IgE-mediated food allergy
The interplay between the environment and barrier dysfunction drives
Th2-type allergic responses. Epithelial cells in the skin and
gastrointestinal tract are actively involved in immune responses by
producing and secreting cytokines. Alarmins or damage-associated
molecular patterns (DAMPs) including IL-33, IL-25, TSLP and PGE2 are
epithelial cell-derived cytokines that are central regulators of
allergic responses. In addition to the classical effector cells (mast
cells, basophils, eosinophils, ILC2 cells, B cells and Th2 cells), other
T cell subsets are proposed players in IgE-mediated allergy including:
Tfh13, Th22, Th9, Th17, and Tfh2 cells. Immunosuppressive cell subsets
including T regulatory cells and the recently described ILCregs also
play a role by regulating responses.