It has been suggested that fungal exposure may
promote adjuvant effects on allergic immune
responses. Fungal proteases may also interact
directly with airway epithelium. Recent studies
showed that proteases present in Alternaria spp
extracts induced morphological changes, cell
desquamation, and production of proinflammatory
cytokines and chemokines and active Th2 pathway
(Niedoszytko et al., 2002; Sakiyan, 2003).