RESUMEN
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a noninfectious inflammatory response in nasal mucosa caused by allergens, which is contacted by a specific individual. The immune imbalance of Th1/Th2 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AR. In?terleukin (IL)-33, the novel cytokine of IL-1 family, is an important regulatory factor of allergic diseases, autoimmune diseas?es and various inflammatory diseases. IL-33 is a kind of alarm, which is mainly secreted and released by damaged tissues and cells, especially impaired epithelial cells and endothelial cells. IL-33 binding to its receptor ST2L can activate a variety of immune cells to produce Th2 cytokines, precipitating and maintaining Th2 polarization, increasing AR immune inflamma?tion, which is the new target of AR in research and treatment. In this article, we have done a brief overview for the biological functions of IL-33 and its receptor ST2L and the research progress in the AR.