Schmidt-Weber Carsten B, Blaser Kurt
Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Obere Strasse 22, CH-7270 Davos, Switzerland.
Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2006 May;26(2):233-44, vi-vii. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2006.02.011.
The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) plays a dual role in allergic disease. It is important in suppressing T cells and also mediates repair responses that lead to unwanted remodeling of tissues. Advances in the immunology of allergy indicate that allergens cause overreactions in the lymphocyte compartment because of the lack or decreased number of suppressive, regulatory T cells. TGF-beta was shown to induce regulatory T cells and participate directly in suppression of effector T cells. Therefore, TGF-beta may help return reactivity to allergens to normal subsymptomatic activity. Whether chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma profit from TGF-beta-mediated suppression of specific immune responses or whether the TGF-beta-mediated tissue remodeling aggravates diseases more than it helps control immune reactions is unclear. This article addresses these issues and future strategies in this field.
转化生长因子β（TGF-β）在过敏性疾病中发挥着双重作用。它在抑制T细胞方面很重要，并且还介导导致组织不必要重塑的修复反应。过敏免疫学的进展表明，由于抑制性调节性T细胞数量不足或减少，过敏原会导致淋巴细胞区室过度反应。TGF-β被证明可诱导调节性T细胞并直接参与效应T细胞的抑制。因此，TGF-β可能有助于使对过敏原的反应性恢复到正常的亚症状活性。目前尚不清楚诸如哮喘等慢性炎症性疾病是否受益于TGF-β介导的特异性免疫反应抑制，或者TGF-β介导的组织重塑是否比其有助于控制免疫反应更能加重疾病。本文探讨了该领域的这些问题和未来策略。
