Platts-Mills Thomas A E
Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center, University of Virginia, PO Box 801355, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2002 Mar;2(2):175-80. doi: 10.1007/s11882-002-0013-2.
Despite the strong and consistent association between immediate hypersensitivity and asthma, there is still controversy about the role inhaled allergens play and about the timing of events related to sensitization. Recent studies have provided further evidence on the nature of the immune response to allergens, the timing of this response, and, in particular, whether any response to allergens occurs in utero. Some of the studies also provide a better explanation for why there is not a simple dose response relationship between allergens and asthma. The new studies also raise major issues about the nature of the immune response in nonallergic individuals. Taken together, the findings do not support a simple view about the balance between TH1 and TH2 responses, but strongly support the relevance of IgE to the risk of asthma.
尽管速发型超敏反应与哮喘之间存在着强烈且持续的关联，但关于吸入性变应原所起的作用以及与致敏相关事件的时间安排仍存在争议。最近的研究为变应原免疫反应的性质、这种反应的时间安排，尤其是子宫内是否会发生对变应原的任何反应提供了进一步的证据。其中一些研究还更好地解释了为什么变应原与哮喘之间不存在简单的剂量反应关系。这些新研究还引发了关于非变应性个体免疫反应性质的重大问题。总体而言，这些发现不支持关于TH1和TH2反应平衡的简单观点，但有力地支持了IgE与哮喘风险的相关性。
