Investigations of the relationship
between airborne fungal diversity
and IgE sensitization, inflammatory
responses and asthma
Thèse présentée en vue de l’obtention du grade
académique de Docteur en Sciences Biomédicales
UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES
FACULTE DE MEDECINE
Muriel Vincent
Avril 2017
Page 23
Page 25
INTRODUCTION
1. Basic concepts about allergy 33
2. Asthma 34
2.1 Generalities ... 34
2.2 Epidemiology ... 36
2.3 Diagnosis & Treatment ... 38
2.4 Genetics ... 40
2.5 Risk factors for asthma development ... 41
3. The immunology of asthma 43
3.1 Innate response ... 44
A. Epithelial cells ... 44
B. Dendritic cells ... 44
C. Cross-talk between epithelial cells and DCs... 45
D. Implication of innate immune cells ... 48
3.2 Adaptive response ... 51
A. Cellular players ... 52
B. Mediators ... 56
4. Moulds and asthma 59
4.1 General concepts about moulds ... 59
4.2 Moulds & Allergic diseases ... 60
4.3 Moulds and asthma ... 63
4.4 Indoor moulds and health issues ... 64
4.5 Investigation of indoor mould contamination ... 67
4.6 Immunity to moulds ... 69
A. Normal immune response against moulds ... 71
B. Initiation of the allergic response against fungi ... 72
4.7 A. fumigatus and pathology ... 75
RESEARCH WORK
Objectives 83Context ... 87
Results ... 87
Discussion ... 88
Part II: Investigation of inflammatory and allergic responses to common mould species 105
Context ... 105
Results ... 105
Discussion ... 107
Part III: Relationship between mould exposure, specific IgE sensitization and the clinical severity of asthma: a case-control study 125
Context ... 125
Results ... 126
Discussion ... 126
