The Central Role of Th2 Immune Response in Inflammatory Dermatoses: From Pathogenesis to Targeted Therapies

Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Nov 4;26(21):10720. doi: 10.3390/ijms262110720.

Abstract

T helper 2 (Th2)-mediated dermatoses are inflammatory skin diseases driven by CD4+ Th2 cells that produce interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-31, promoting immunoglobulin E (IgE) class switching, eosinophil recruitment, mast cell degranulation, and pruritus. We aimed to place these conditions in context and clarify how Th2 biology informs diagnosis and therapy. We conducted a narrative synthesis of mechanistic, translational, and clinical evidence on Th2 pathways in atopic dermatitis (AD), prurigo nodularis, bullous pemphigoid, chronic spontaneous urticaria, and selected type I/IVb hypersensitivity reactions, with focused appraisal of trials targeting IL-4Rα, IL-13, and IL-31R. Persistent Th2 activation is associated with epidermal barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and pruritogenic neural signaling; AD is the archetype, showing prominent lesional IL-4/IL-13 activity correlated with severity and itch. Across disorders, pathway-directed biologics against IL-4Rα, IL-13, and IL-31R consistently reduce disease activity and pruritus in AD and prurigo nodularis, with emerging signals of benefit in bullous pemphigoid and chronic spontaneous urticaria. The Th2 axis provides a unifying pathogenic framework and actionable therapeutic target across multiple dermatoses. Integrating cytokine profiling with clinical phenotypes may refine patient stratification and optimize the deployment of existing and next-generation Th2-targeting therapies.

Keywords: T helper 2 cells; Th2-mediated dermatoses; interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13); pruritus; targeted biologic therapies.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dermatitis, Atopic / immunology
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Skin Diseases* / drug therapy
  • Skin Diseases* / immunology
  • Skin Diseases* / pathology
  • Skin Diseases* / therapy
  • Th2 Cells* / immunology