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The Potential Role of Interleukin-17 in Severe Asthma

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Abstract

Asthma has long been characterized as a disease of dysregulated T-helper type 2 immune responses to environmental allergens. Clinical studies suggest that asthma is a heterogeneous disorder with distinct types of inflammatory processes. Accumulating evidence suggests that aberrant interleukin (IL)-17 production is a key determinant of severe forms of asthma. However, the identity of IL-17–producing cells and the factors regulating IL-17 production during the course of allergic inflammation remain elusive. In this review, we summarize the potential IL-17–producing cells and their involvement in the inflammatory responses that mediate distinct features of asthma. The role of proinflammatory cytokines and the complement pathway in regulating the generation of IL-17–producing T cells is also discussed. Understanding the biology of IL-17 in the context of allergic inflammation may be informative in the development of novel approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Shawna Hottinger for editorial assistance and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grant no. R01 AI090129-01 to Dr. Wang and RO1HL067736 and RO1AIO83315 to Dr. Wills-Karp) and the American Lung Association/American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Foundation (Dr. Wang) for research support.

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  1. Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA

    Yui-Hsi Wang

  2. Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA

    Marsha Wills-Karp

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Correspondence to Yui-Hsi Wang.

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Wang, YH., Wills-Karp, M. The Potential Role of Interleukin-17 in Severe Asthma. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 11, 388–394 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-011-0210-y

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