Introduction: S. aureus is a major opportunistic pathogen that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several chronic inflammatory diseases including bronchial asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and atopic dermatitis. S. aureus can induce the production of both polyclonal and specific IgE that can elicit an inflammatory cascade.
Areas covered: The link between the sensitization to S. aureus enterotoxins and the severity of several chronic inflammatory diseases is reviewed in detail, as well as its therapeutic implications.
Expert opinion: An anti-IgE strategy to inhibit S. aureus enterotoxins would be a valid approach to treat several endotypes of severe asthma, CRSwNP and CSU in which IgE against S. aureus enterotoxins should represent, not only a marker of severity of the diseases but also a target of a treatment.
Keywords: IgE; Staphylococcus aureus; asthma; atopic dermatitis; chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps; chronic spontaneous urticaria; omalizumab; type 2 inflammation.