title: Fundamental signals that regulate eosinophil homing to the gastrointestinal tract.
abstract: The histological identification of increased eosinophils in the gastrointestinal tract occurs in numerous clinical disorders; however, there is a limited understanding of the mechanisms regulating eosinophil trafficking into this mucosal surface. The results presented in this study characterize the processes regulating eosinophil homing into the gastrointestinal tract at baseline. Eosinophils were found to be present in the lamina propria of 19-day-old embryos and germ-free adult mice at concentrations comparable to those present in non-germ-free adult mice. Furthermore, eosinophil gastrointestinal levels were not altered by increasing circulating eosinophils after pulmonary allergen challenge. Gastrointestinal eosinophil levels were partially reduced in mice deficient in recombinase activating gene-1 (RAG-1), IL-5, or the beta common chain (betac), but these reductions paralleled reductions in circulating eosinophils. In contrast, mice deficient in eotaxin had a marked reduction in gastrointestinal eosinophils but normal levels of eosinophils in the hematopoietic compartments. Furthermore, eotaxin was important for regulating eosinophil levels, even in the presence of high levels of IL-5. These investigations demonstrate eosinophil homing into the gastrointestinal tract during embryonic development occurring independently of viable intestinal flora. Furthermore, eotaxin is identified as the primary regulator of eosinophil gastrointestinal homing under homeostatic states, and may therefore have a fundamental role in innate immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rothenberg
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000276:immunology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology*; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D004064:Digestive System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000502:physiology; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000502:physiology; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000209:etiology; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000209:etiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; C515457:Ccl11 protein, mouse; D054413:Chemokine CCL11; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D016207:Cytokines; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor