Altered T-cell receptor signaling in the pathogenesis of allergic disease

Mounting evidence from animal models has demonstrated that alterations in T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling alone can lead to dramatically skewed differentiation of naive T cells into T(H)2 cells, to T(H)2 effector functions, and to T(H)2-related diseases. There is significant potential relevance of these observations to human disease. Specifically, a number of immunodeficiencies associated with atopic disease might have atopy as a manifestation because of aberrant TCR signaling. It is therefore important to attempt to identify a role for defects in TCR signaling in the pathogenesis of common atopic diseases.