Anergy
Anergy is a hyporeactive type of reactivity usually observed to
infectious antigens. It can be specific (immune) and nonspecific –
non-immune. With it, there is no hyperreactivity, but there is tolerance
to an allergen or immunosuppression after the use of immunosuppressants.
Allergen-specific immuno-mediated anergy is due to hypo- or
areactivity to allergens in a patient with allergy and can be
immunosuppressive or immunoregulatory. After successful
allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), patients remain allergic, but
they develop anergy to the allergen. Such anergy differs from
pathological anergy, in which there is no response to stimulation with
an antigen (infectious or non-infectious) due to a genetically
determined lack of response or due to immunosuppression.
Pathological anergy can cause immunodeficiency diseases and
infections.
On the other hand, “immunity” which is unsusceptibility to infection,
can be also essentially considered anergy. Additional data on the
commonality and differences of these concepts is needed.
The anergy of non-immune cells , especially epithelial cells
releasing defensins and antibacterial peptides, often leads to immune
deficiency and the development of infections.