Figure 3.

Proposed mechanism of how stress-induced glucocorticoid insensitivity could affect the innate immune system during the allergic airway response. (A): Altered corticosteroid responsiveness of airway epithelial cells may inhibit SP-D production. (B): Stress abrogates corticosteroid responsiveness of proinflammatory dendritic cells. (C): Diminished SP-D levels will result in a failure to protect against dendritic cell and Th2-cell activation and the consequent allergic airway response.