Literature Review Week Why do some people react to mosquitoes so vigorously? There is fascinating data for me in the Nature article, as I see lots of kids that react strongly to mosquitoes while others do not at all. A hyper primed immune reaction makes a lot of sense as the immune system is extra sensitive to the insult in individuals that have chronic allergic phenotypes. They are in effect polarized to see the outside world through an irritant lens and thus react in a more robust way. The cell called GD3 releases Interleukin 3 or IL-3 which is a cytokine signaling molecule that tells skin based sensory neurons to become more sensitive to allergens like house dust mites, environmental molds, and in this case mosquito saliva. Thus, the mosquito saliva induces more of the itch scratch cycle. The effect is to increase the gain sensitivity on the skin to 10. This is likely a main reason why having an allergic child take immunotherapy against allergens that they react to lowers the rheostat for all irritants. It is like a global check on the sensory system. This is another reason to consider SLIT and or SCIT immunotherapy in allergic children... Plus a discussion on the Joe Rogan podcast with Callie and Casey Means. Enjoy, Dr. M