The Role of the House Dust Mite-Induced Innate Immunity in Development of Allergic Response

House dust mite (HDM) represents one of the most common sources of aeroallergens worldwide and more than 50% of allergic patients are sensitized to these allergenic molecules. HDM allergy research in the past has been mainly focused on adaptive, mite allergen-dependent immune responses. In recent years it has become clear that, although the allergenspecific CD4+ Th2 cells orchestrate HDM allergic response, the innate immune system also plays a critical role in HDMinduced allergy pathogenesis. This review will summarize insights into diverse determinants that contribute to the HDM allergenicity through the activation of innate immunity. In addition to the capacity of mite allergens to directly activate mainly skin keratinocytes and airway epithelial cells, innate pattern recognition receptor ligands derived from HDM carriers are also involved in the development of allergic response by HDM. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel Published online: December 22, 2010 Correspondence to: Dr. Alain Jacquet, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Chulalongkorn University, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Oor-Por-Ror Building, 10th Floor Room #1010/5, 1873 Rama IV Road Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand) Tel. +66 2 256 4579, Fax +66 2 652 3100, E-Mail alain.j @ chula.ac.th © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel 1018–2438/11/1552–0095$38.00/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/iaa D ow nl oa de d by : 54 .7 0. 40 .1 1 11 /1 9/ 20 17 1 2: 28 :0 0 P M