A critical role for eosinophils in allergic airways remodeling.
Features of chronic asthma include airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammatory infiltrates, and structural changes in the airways, termed remodeling. The contribution of eosinophils, cells associated with asthma and allergy, remains to be established. We show that in mice with a total ablation of the eosinophil lineage, increases in airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus secretion were similar to those observed in wild-type mice, but eosinophil-deficient mice were significantly protected from peribronchiolar collagen deposition and increases in airway smooth muscle. These data suggest that eosinophils contribute substantially to airway remodeling but are not obligatory for allergen-induced lung dysfunction, and support an important role for eosinophil-targeted therapies in chronic asthma.
Humbles
Alison A
AA
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. alison.humbles@childrens.harvard.edu
Lloyd
Clare M
CM
McMillan
Sarah J
SJ
Friend
Daniel S
DS
Xanthou
Georgina
G
McKenna
Erin E
EE
Ghiran
Sorina
S
Gerard
Norma P
NP
Yu
Channing
C
Orkin
Stuart H
SH
Gerard
Craig
C
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000502:physiology*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000032:analysis; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000473:pathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
D007378:Interleukins; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D003094:Collagen