Like the lung, skin, and nose, the external eye is a common target of allergic inflammation. Ocular allergy (OA) represents a collection of underestimated diseases of the eye observed in children and adults. The ocular manifestations are the expression of multifactorial immune mechanisms that generally have a good prognosis, but for a few patients, long term inflammation may remarkably reduce the visual function. Evidence suggests that other co-participant systems, including epigenetic, genetic, environmental, individual factors, sex hormones, and the central and autonomic nervous systems may influence the ocular response from distant sites. This is consistent with the concept that the eye is an organ fully integrated with the rest of the body and that the therapeutic approach should be holistic, dynamic, and personalized. For instance, androgens and estrogens binding to receptors on the ocular surface and the continuous cross-talking of neuromediators and growth factors with immune cells act to maintain the ocular surface homeostasis in response to environmental challenges. The immune system links and regulates the response of the ocular surface. Complex and incompletely understood mechanisms influence the innate and adaptive immune responses and generate different OA phenotypes and endotypes discussed in the present review.

与肺、皮肤和鼻子一样，外眼是过敏性炎症的常见目标。眼部过敏 (OA) 代表了在儿童和成人中观察到的一系列被低估的眼部疾病。眼部表现是多因素免疫机制的表现，一般预后良好，但少数患者长期炎症可使视功能明显下降。有证据表明，其他共同参与者系统，包括表观遗传、遗传、环境、个体因素、性激素以及中枢和自主神经系统，可能会影响远处的眼部反应。这与眼睛是与身体其他部分完全结合的器官以及治疗方法应该是整体的、动态的和个性化的概念是一致的。例如，雄激素和雌激素与眼表受体结合，以及神经介质和生长因子与免疫细胞的持续相互作用，可维持眼表稳态以应对环境挑战。免疫系统联系并调节眼表的反应。复杂且未完全理解的机制会影响先天性和适应性免疫反应，并产生本综述中讨论的不同 OA 表型和内型。