Neuroinflammatory Remodeling by Type 2 Immune Pathways Links Allergic Signaling to Neurodegenerative Disease

The hallmarks of allergic diseases are Type 2 immunity, including IL-4 and IL-13 production, IgE antibody generation, mast cell and basophil activation, histamine release, and eosinophil activation. There are many routes by which such mediators can influence CNS biology, including cytokine entry or signaling via brain barrier receptors; leukocyte trafficking across activated barriers; cytokine signaling via circumventricular organ sites or dural immune compartments; vagus nerve afferent signaling; mast cell degranulation; and histamine neuromodulation. Neuroinflammation is a common hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, but whether and to what degree allergic/type 2 immune biology may be involved depends on the specific disease stage and pathology. Here, we assess studies connecting the roles of IL-4/IL-13 signaling, IgE/mast cell activation, eosinophil-attractive chemokines, and histamines in Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, dementia with Lewy bodies, Huntington’s disease, prion disease, and tauopathy/atypical parkinsonism. Mechanisms appear most clear in the case of Parkinson’s disease, where epidemiology suggests an important role in dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, while for other neurodegenerative conditions the evidence is less compelling and may be either mechanistic or modulatory. Confounding issues include sex differences, drug exposures, comorbid conditions, socioeconomic factors, and coexisting inflammatory diseases. Finally, we suggest a strategy based on longitudinal immune phenotyping, CNS biomarkers, and pathway manipulation to assess the relationship between allergic immune signaling and neurodegeneration.