title: Lymphotoxin is required for maintaining physiological levels of serum IgE that minimizes Th1-mediated airway inflammation.
abstract: Although elevated levels of IgE in asthmatic patients are strongly associated with lung infiltration by activated T helper (Th) 2 cells, the physiological role of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the airway remains largely undefined. Lymphotoxin-deficient alpha (LTalpha-/-) mice exhibit increased airway inflammation, paradoxically accompanied by diminished levels of IgE and reduced airway hyperresponsiveness in response to both environmental and induced antigen challenge. The severe lung inflammation in LTalpha-/- mice is Th1 in nature and can be alleviated by IgE reconstitution. Conversely, depletion of IgE in wild-type mice recapitulates the lung pathologies of LTalpha-/- mice. Therefore, this work has revealed that lymphotoxin is essential for IgE production, and a physiological role of IgE in the airway may consist of maintaining the balance of Th1 and Th2 responses to prevent aberrant inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Hyung-Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Blink
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Youjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weinstock
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waldschmidt
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.forename: Bohao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Solway
authors.forename: Anne I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Sperling
authors.forename: Yang-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D007073:Immunoglobulin E