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Immunologie der Kontaktallergie

Immunology of contact allergy

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Zusammenfassung

Die Kontaktallergie ist eine Hauterkrankung, die durch die Reaktion des Immunsystems auf niedermolekulare Chemikalien verursacht wird. Kontaktallergene zeichnen sich durch chemische Reaktivität aus, die toxisch wirkenden Irritanzien fehlt. Kovalente Bindung von Kontaktallergenen an oder Komplexbildung mit Proteinen ist für die Aktivierung des Immunsystems unabdingbar. Als Konsequenz werden antigene Epitope gebildet, die von kontaktallergenspezifischen T-Zellen erkannt werden. Die Bildung von Effektor und Memory-T-Zellen bedingt die hohe Antigenspezifität und die wiederholte antigenspezifische Hautreaktion der Kontaktdermatitis. Neue Erkenntnisse zeigen, dass die weniger spezifische Reaktion des angeborenen Immunsystems auf Kontaktallergene der Reaktion auf eine Infektion sehr ähnlich ist. Somit handelt es sich bei der Kontaktallergie quasi um ein immunologisches Missverständnis, da der Hautkontakt mit Chemikalien als Infektion interpretiert wird. Das wachsende Verständnis der molekularen und zellulären Pathomechanismen der Kontaktallergie kann helfen, kausale Therapien und In-vitro-Alternativen zum Tierversuch für die Identifikation von Kontaktallergenen zu entwickeln.

Abstract

Contact allergy is a skin disease that is caused by the reaction of the immune system to low molecular weight chemicals. A hallmark of contact allergens is their chemical reactivity, which is not exhibited by toxic irritants. Covalent binding of contact allergens to or complex formation with proteins is essential for the activation of the immune system. As a consequence antigenic epitopes are formed, which are recognized by contact allergen-specific T cells. The generation of effector and memory T cells causes the high antigen specificity and the repeated antigen-specific skin reaction of contact allergy. New findings reveal that the less specific reaction of the innate immune system to contact allergens closely resembles the reaction to an infection. Therefore, contact allergy can be viewed as an immunologic misunderstanding since the skin contact with chemical allergens is interpreted as an infection. The growing understanding of the molecular and cellular pathologic mechanisms of contact allergy can aid the development of specific therapies and of in vitro alternatives to animal testing for the identification of contact allergens.

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Abbreviations

DAMPs:

Damage-assoziierte molekulare Muster

DZ:

Dendritische Zelle

HA:

Hyaluronsäure

LLNA:

Local Lymph Node Assay

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharid

NLR:

NOD-like-Rezeptor

PAMPs:

Pathogen-assoziierte molekulare Muster

ROS:

Reaktive Sauerstoffspezies

TNCB:

2,4,6-Trinitrochlorbenzol

TLR:

Toll-like-Rezeptor

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  1. Forschergruppe Allergologie, Hautklinik, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Hauptstr. 7, 79104, Freiburg, Deutschland

    S.F. Martin

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Martin, S. Immunologie der Kontaktallergie. Hautarzt 62, 739–743 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00105-011-2184-z

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