Current Immunology Reviews (Discontinued) - Volume 9, Issue 2, 2013

Inflammation of the middle ear, otitis media, is a significant cause of pain and reduced auditory acuity in children. Recurrent episodes may delay development of speech, learning and social behaviour. Streptococcus pneumoniae, non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis are most often implicated. These bacteria colonise the nasopharynx asymptomatically but host tolerance of high nasopharyngeal load c Read More

The enzyme Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) initiates somatic hypermutation (SHM) and class switch recombination (CSR) of the immunoglobulin (Ig) genes, which are critically important for an effective immune response. In addition, AID seems to contribute to B cell tolerance in mice and humans by, in some still undefined way, eliminating developing autoreactive B cells. As a trade-off for the benefits brought Read More

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) comprises two forms namely, Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD). The intestinal inflammation in IBD is controlled by a complex interplay of innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. Evidence indicates that a dysregulation of these mechanisms in the mucosal immunity of the gut in IBD patients causes an overproduction of cytokines leading to an uncontrolled intestinal inflammat Read More

The pleiotropic cytokine IFN-γ is a key component controlling and linking intrinsic, innate and adaptive immune responses yet, only recently has its expression been definitively demonstrated in macrophages. Unlike macrophages generated from monocyte with M-CSF, those generated with IL-12/IL-18 are a functionally distinct IFN-γ and chemokine secreting, macrophage population. We therefore, propose that the interaction o Read More

The identification of the histamine H4 receptors has allowed new interest in the mechanism of action of an autacoid, which was originally identified in 1900s. Histamine is an important mediator of allergic disease, asthma and inflammation. The pharmacologic effects of histamine are mediated through four types of membrane histamine receptors, H1, H2, H3 and H4, which are all hepatohelical G-protein-coupled receptors. The Read More

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfects nearly 25% of HIV patients and it has been associated with more rapid progression of liver fibrosis, leading to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Emerging data support multiple derangements attending HIV coinfection, including increases in profibrogenic cytokine expression and secretion, generation of enhanced oxidative stress, and increases in hepato Read More