ISSN: 1323-8930Editor's Choice
Editor’s comment: Pharmacological interaction with immune receptors (p-i) is a mechanism that explains one type of drug hypersensitivity reaction (DHR). A drug binds to immune receptors, such as HLA or T cell receptor (TCR), causing T cell activation and leading to inflammatory manifestations such as exanthems, eosinophilia, and Steven-Johnson syndrome. Understanding p-i theory is important for preventing and treating DHRs, and it may also help to understand TCR signaling and alloreactivity. Dr. Werner J. Pichler, who proposed the theory, provides us with a comprehensive review.
Editor’s comment: The latest guidelines on hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) categorize the disease as either fibrotic or non-fibrotic, due to the greater clinical utility of this classification. However, little has been known about the exact prevalence and incidence of fibrotic and non-fibrotic HP in Japan. Okamoto et al. report, for 2021, the number of patients with fibrotic or non-fibrotic HP who visited the hospital and the number of newly diagnosed cases of fibrotic or non-fibrotic HP in Japan. This is the first study shed light on the prevalence and incidence of fibrotic and non-fibrotic HP in Japan.
Editor’s comment: Dupilumab, a human monoclonal antibody against IL-4R, decreases the occurrence of exacerbation events and improves pulmonary function in severe uncontrolled asthma. Mizumura et al. conducted a multicenter, prospective study in real-world settings to confirm the efficacy of dupilumab in improving FEV1 and sputum symptoms in a Japanese population. The information that both increased blood eosinophils and high FeNO can be predictive markers of the efficacy may help clinicians decide when to introduce dupilumab to patients with severe asthma with type 2 inflammation.
Review Series: T follicular helper cells and IgE
As the analysis of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells progresses, their involvement in the pathology of allergies is becoming clearer. The purpose of this review series is to elucidate the function of Tfh and follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells as well as their relationship to IgE and allergic disease.
Dr. Koenig focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the long-term production of IgE and Tfh cell heterogeneity.
Dr. Cañete et al. describe the cytokines and signaling pathways involved in the regulation of IgE production and their relationship to Tfh cells. They also discuss the impacts of immunotherapy and treatment with biologics for T2 type response on Tfh cells.
Dr. Dent reviews the current literature on Tfr cells, reporting that in mouse models of allergic diseases, Tfr cells exhibit a dual role as both suppressors and helpers regarding IgE responses.
Dr. Akiyama et al. give us the details of the characteristics and differentiation pathways of human Tfh subsets, providing a comprehensive review of the roles of human Tfh cells in allergy, malignancy, and IgG4-related diseases.
