Thrombomodulin (CD141) - a new marker for atopy and asthma?

Dendritic cells (DCs) are important in allergic diseases because they induce TH2-polarized responses in atopic individuals.

Thrombomodulin (CD141 or blood dendritic cell antigen 3 [BDCA-3]) is a membrane protein expressed on the surface of endothelial and dendritic cells. Thrombomodulin functions as a co-factor in the thrombin-induced activation of protein C in the anticoagulant pathway.

The antigen described as BDCA-3 turned out to be identical to thrombomodulin.

Thrombomodulin (CD141) expression was higher on house dust mite (HDM) allergen-stimulated DCs from atopic individuals.

In vivo, thrombomodulin+ circulating DCs were significantly more frequent in subjects with HDM allergy and asthma, compared with controls.

Thrombomodulin expression on DCs may be involved in the pathogenesis of atopy and asthma.

References:
Allergen-enhanced thrombomodulin (blood dendritic cell antigen 3, CD141) expression on dendritic cells is associated with a TH2-skewed immune response. Stephanie T. Yerkovich et al. JACI, Volume 123, Issue 1, Pages 209-216.e4 (January 2009).
Thrombomodulin in exercise-induced asthma. Kanazawa H, Kurihara N, Hirata K, Kamimori T, Takeda T. Intern Med. 1995 Mar;34(3):158-62.
Image source: Thrombomodulin, Wikipedia, public domain.