IL-17: Important for Host Defense, Autoimmunity, and Allergy?

In this issue, Milovanovic and colleagues present evidence that IL-17a enhances IgE production, although the precise mechanism remains unclear. Their initial finding was that higher numbers of IL-17a-producing CD4+ T cells were observed after polyclonal stimulation in a largely airway allergic population. These data add to the evidence that atopic disorders such as asthma and, possibly, atopic dermatitis (AD) may have distinct immunologic phenotypes. The hope is that by characterizing the immunologic basis of these common diseases we will be able to understand the heterogeneity observed in natural history, response to treatments, susceptibility to infections, genetic risk factors, and associations with other atopic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]