th-2 dominance Tag

Asthma, Allergies and Th-2 Dominance

Asthma and allergies are caused by dysregulation and hyperactivity of the immune system. The part of the immune system that becomes overactive is a subset of T cells known as thymus helper 2 lymphocytes, or Th-2 cells. What are T cells? T cells are a type of white blood cell that carry out the functions of the immune system. T helper 1 cells identify pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi) and stimulate the activity of macrophages, another type of white blood cell, to digest the pathogenic material and cellular debris. In this way, Th-1 cells, when functioning optimally, help us from contracting infections and getting...