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Biomolecules
Special Issues
The Immune System and Allergies
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The Immune System and Allergies

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 5998

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Marco Casciaro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Unit and School of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Interests: immune system; allergy; cytokines; oxidative stress; inflammation; autoimmunity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores the intricate relationship between the immune system and allergic reactions, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic interventions. We invite submissions of original research articles and reviews that contribute to our understanding of immune responses and allergies, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Mechanisms of allergic responses;
  • Novel advances in immune system pathophysiology;
  • Allergen identification and characterization;
  • Immune modulation in allergies or inflammatory disorders;
  • Genetic and environmental influences;
  • Novel therapeutic targets;
  • Clinical management and prevention.

We aim to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the fields of allergies and immune system interactions, with the ultimate goal of advancing our ability to diagnose, treat, and prevent allergic and immune disorders. Researchers and clinicians from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to contribute their insights and findings to this timely and important Special Issue.

Dr. Marco Casciaro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • immune system
  • allergy
  • inflammation
  • hypersensitivity
  • immunology

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 5290 KiB  
Article
Serum T2-High Inflammation Mediators in Eosinophilic COPD
by Andrius Januskevicius, Egle Vasyle, Airidas Rimkunas, Jolita Palacionyte, Virginija Kalinauskaite-Zukauske and Kestutis Malakauskas
Biomolecules 2024, 14(12), 1648; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14121648 - 21 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1025
Abstract
Eosinophils are central inflammatory cells in asthma; however, a portion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have blood or sputum eosinophilia, a condition termed eosinophilic COPD (eCOPD), which may contribute to the progression of the disease. We hypothesize that eosinophilic inflammation [...] Read more.
Eosinophils are central inflammatory cells in asthma; however, a portion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have blood or sputum eosinophilia, a condition termed eosinophilic COPD (eCOPD), which may contribute to the progression of the disease. We hypothesize that eosinophilic inflammation in eCOPD patients is related to Type 2 (T2)-high inflammation seen in asthma and that serum mediators might help us to identify T2-high inflammation in patients and choose an appropriate personalized treatment strategy. Thus, we aimed to investigate ten serum levels of T2-high inflammation mediators in eCOPD patients and compare them to severe non-allergic eosinophilic asthma (SNEA) patients. We included 8 subjects with eCOPD, 10 with SNEA, and 11 healthy subjects (HS) as a control group. The concentrations of biomarkers in serum samples were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this study, we found that eCOPD patients were distinguished from SNEA patients by elevated serum levels of sIL-5Rα, MET, TRX1, ICTP, and IL-4, as well as decreased serum levels of eotaxin-1 and sFcεRI. Moreover, MET, ICTP, eotaxin-1, and sFcεRI demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity as potential biomarkers for eCOPD patients. Furthermore, serum levels of IL-5 and IL-25 in combination with sIL-5Rα, MET, and IL-4 demonstrated a high value in identifying T2-high inflammation in eCOPD patients. In conclusion, this study highlights that while T2-high inflammation drives eosinophilic inflammation in both eCOPD and SNEA through similar mechanisms, the distinct expression of its mediators reflects an imbalance between T1 and T2 inflammation pathways in eCOPD patients. A combined analysis of serum mediators may aid in identifying T2-high inflammation in eCOPD patients and in selecting an appropriate personalized treatment strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Immune System and Allergies)
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14 pages, 1697 KiB  
Article
Cellular and Humoral Response After Induction of Protection and After Finishing Hymenoptera Venom Immunotherapy
by Ajda Demšar Luzar, Matija Rijavec, Mitja Košnik, Urška Bidovec-Stojković, Jerneja Debeljak, Mihaela Zidarn, Peter Kopač and Peter Korošec
Biomolecules 2024, 14(12), 1494; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14121494 - 24 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1166
Abstract
Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA) is an IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction caused by Hymenoptera species stings (honeybee, vespid, or ant). The only effective treatment is Hymenoptera venom immunotherapy (VIT). Our study aimed to evaluate whether humoral and cellular biomarkers measured before, during, and after honeybee [...] Read more.
Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA) is an IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction caused by Hymenoptera species stings (honeybee, vespid, or ant). The only effective treatment is Hymenoptera venom immunotherapy (VIT). Our study aimed to evaluate whether humoral and cellular biomarkers measured before, during, and after honeybee VIT are associated with the success of VIT, which was assessed by the response to a sting challenge one year after finishing VIT. In this prospective study, blood biomarkers of 25 patients undergoing honeybee VIT at the referral center in Slovenia were evaluated. A controlled honeybee sting challenge confirmed successful VIT in 20 of 25 (80%) patients. Honeybee venom (HBV) recombinant allergen profiles, evaluated before the treatment, were comparable between responders and non-responders. Longitudinal follow-up, up to 1 year after finishing VIT, showed that the immune responses do not differ significantly between patients with successful VIT and treatment failure. Those responses were characterized by decreased sIgE, tIgE, and BST, whereas sIgG4 levels increased. The basophil sensitivity also significantly decreases after VIT in both groups of patients. The analyzed biomarker which correlated considerably with treatment failure was higher basophil sensitivity to allergen stimulation before VIT. Similarly, systemic adverse events (SAEs) during the build-up phase of VIT correlated with treatment failure. Our study demonstrated similar sensitization profiles, and humoral and basophil immune responses to immunotherapy, in two different well-characterized groups of patients, one with successful VIT and the other with treatment failure. Notably, only high basophil sensitivity measured before VIT and SAEs during VIT were significantly associated with VIT failure, and both have the potential to be predictors of VIT failure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Immune System and Allergies)
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Review

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19 pages, 723 KiB  
Review
Is There a Role for Immunostimulant Bacterial Lysates in the Management of Respiratory Tract Infection?
by Mario Di Gioacchino, Francesca Santilli and Andrea Pession
Biomolecules 2024, 14(10), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14101249 - 2 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2806
Abstract
Bacterial Lysates are immunostimulants clinically prescribed for the prevention of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). It has been shown that Bacterial Lysates upregulate the immune system, acting both on innate and adaptive reactions. In fact, there are demonstrations of their efficacy in restoring the [...] Read more.
Bacterial Lysates are immunostimulants clinically prescribed for the prevention of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). It has been shown that Bacterial Lysates upregulate the immune system, acting both on innate and adaptive reactions. In fact, there are demonstrations of their efficacy in restoring the integrity and immune function of epithelial barriers, activating ILC3 and dendritic cells with an enhanced Th1 response, and producing serum IgG and serum and salivary IgA specific to the administered bacterial antigens. The activated immune system also protects against other bacteria and viruses due to a trained immunity effect. Most studies show that the number of RTIs and their severity decrease in Bacterial Lysates-pretreated patients, without relevant side effects. The Bacterial Lysates treatment, in addition to reducing the number of RTIs, also prevents the deterioration of the underlying disease (i.e., COPD) induced by repeated infections. Despite these positive data, the most recent meta-analyses evidence the weakness of the studies performed, which are of low quality and have an inadequate number of patients, some of which were non-randomized while others were without a control group or were performed contemporarily in different clinical conditions or with different ages. The high heterogeneity of the studies does not allow us to state Bacterial Lysates’ effectiveness in preventing RTIs with sufficient certainty. To completely define their indications, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, randomized clinical trials should be performed for each product and for each indication. The study population should be adequate for each indication. For this purpose, an adequate run-in phase will be necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Immune System and Allergies)
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