gammadelta T cells as regulators of airway hyperresponsiveness.
Airway responsiveness (AR) is determined by complex mechanisms reflecting lung responses to airborne stimuli. Murine studies have identified a number of potential factors modulating AR and thus have contributed to the current understanding of these mechanisms. In allergic inflammation, immune cells, in particular alphabeta T cells, have emerged as important contributors to increased AR. We have found that in contrast to alphabeta T cells, gammadelta T cells can have a negative regulatory effect on AR. Here, we review the current studies on gammadelta T cells in allergic inflammation and discuss their role in modulating AR. We propose that gammadelta T cells exhibit different immune properties depending on the type of stimulus and inflammation. These differential immune properties appear to be associated with specific gammadelta T cell subsets, which control AR to airborne stimuli. In particular, our recent data indicate that the Vgamma4(+) T cell subset acts as an important negative regulator of AR and contributes to maintaining normal lung function in mice.
Lahn
M
M
Department of Immunology at National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colo., USA. mlahn@lilly.com
Kanehiro
A
A
Takeda
K
K
Konowal
A
A
O'Brien
R L
RL
Gelfand
E W
EW
Born
W K
WK
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*