Immune and biochemical mechanisms in the allergic disease of the upper respiratory tract; role of antibodies, target cells, mediators and eosinophils.

The pathways leading to the development of the allergic state and subsequently to the characteristic inflammatory response are complex in nature and result from an interplay between immunologic and biochemical events. Along these pathways a number of intrinsic factors, i.e., handling of antigens at mucosal level, transient immunodeficiency states, especially in the secretory IgA system, impairment in the IgE regulatory mechanism, modulation of cyclic nucleotides leading to mediator release and a "feedback" inhibition control provided by histamine and eosinophil derived products greatly dictate the outcome of events associated with allergic inflammation.