Roles of Type 2 Immune Response-Initiating Cytokines and Detection of Type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Mouse Models of Allergic Conjunctivitis.

Allergic conjunctivitis is one the most common global diseases and affects many people worldwide. It has been reported that 15% to 20% of the total population in Japan suffers from allergic conjunctival disease. Although TH2 cytokines suchs as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 have long been known as causes of allergic conjunctivitis, new cytokines involved in allergic diseases have been identified since 2000. The discovery of type 2 immune response-initiating cytokines, such as IL-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin, and type 2 innate lymphoid cells has suggested that allergic diseases can arise from not only T cells but also barrier function disruption. In this article, we summarize the results of experiments in mouse models of ragweed-induced experimental allergic conjunctivitis and papain-soaked contact lens-induced conjunctivitis.