The Role of T Cells and Macrophages in Asthma Pathogenesis: A New Perspective on Mutual Crosstalk

Figure 3

Crosstalk between T cells and macrophages in asthma pathogenesis. The arrows represent the cytokines secreted by T cells and macrophages. Macrophages secrete interleukin- (IL-) 10 to repress T helper (Th) 2 and Th17 cells. Similarly, Treg cells secrete IL-10 to inhibit macrophages. Antigen-contained major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II molecules on macrophages bind to the T cell receptor (TCR) on T cells to mediate the adaptive immune response. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carrying miRNAs (miRNA-142, miRNA-126, miRNA-21, etc.) may be the modulators of the crosstalk between T cells and macrophages. In addition, the imbalance caused by the cytokine storm may be the main cause of severe asthma. The red side refers to the positive feedback loops while the blue side refers to the negative feedback loops.