Allergic inflammation is characterized by immunoglobulin (Ig)E-dependent activation of mucosal mast cells, which is orchestrated by an increased number of activated CD4+ Th2 lymphocytes. The inflammatory process has several common characteristics that are seen in different allergic diseases. Allergic inflammation is due to the interaction between structural cells such as smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, epithelial and endothelial cells, and several inflammatory cells, including mast cells, basophils, dendritic cells, T and B lymphocytes, eosinophils, and neutrophils. These cells produce a wide range of inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines and lipid mediators. Recent studies have enabled the discovery of new cell subsets and mediators, which interplay in allergic inflammation. In this review, the immediate and late-phase of allergic response, newly described effector T cell subsets, and natural killer T cells, and their roles in allergic diseases are described.

Keywords: allerji, enflamasyon, T hücre, dendritik hücre, mast hücresi.