Free-Living Amoeba Acanthamoeba Triggers Allergic Inflammation of Airways

An estimated 300 million people worldwide have asthma, and 250,000 deaths are attributed annually to the disease. From 2001 to 2009, the number of people diagnosed with asthma grew by 4.3 million. Allergic airway inflammation is closely related to airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), the production of mucus, and airway remodeling. This inflammation is mediated by the T helper type 2 (Th2)-cell response, the upregulation of interleukins (IL)-4, 5, and 13, which are produced by activated CD4+ T cells, and by elevated immunoglobulin E (IgE) production. Asthma has long been associated with atopy, a predilection for producing antigen-specific IgE antibodies against environmental allergens capable of mediating hypersensitivity reactions, particularly immediate skin reactions [1, 2]. Many environmental proteases are believed to be allergens that elicit allergic airway inflammation. Allergens from house dust mites [3], cockroaches [4], fungi [3], and pollens have been reported to contain cysteine, serine, and aspartic proteases [5].