Allergies and the Hygiene Hypothesis
What activates an allergic response? Allergic reactions are triggered when allergens cross-link preformed IgE bound to the high-affinity receptor Fc?RI on mast cells. Mast cells line the body surfaces and serve to alert the immune system to local infection. Are humans making their personal environments too clean? Is it that we are too clean? The answer may be yes. The so-called hygiene hypothesis has gained …