The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Jan 2009
Multicenter StudyIL-17 in atopic eczema: linking allergen-specific adaptive and microbial-triggered innate immune response.
Patients with atopic eczema (AE) regularly experience colonization with Staphylococcus aureus that is directly correlated with the severity of eczema. Recent studies show that an impaired IL-17 immune response results in diseases associated with chronic skin infections. ⋯ IL-17-capable T cells, in particular T(H)2/IL-17 cells, infiltrate acute AE reactions. Although IL-17 secretion by specific T cells is tightly regulated, it can be triggered by bacteria-derived superantigens. The ineffective IL-17-dependent upregulation of HBD-2 in patients with AE is due to a partial inhibition by the type 2 microenvironment, which could partially explain why patients with AE do not clear S aureus.