title: A critical role for eosinophils in allergic airways remodeling.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. alison.humbles@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Alison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Humbles
authors.forename: Clare M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Friend
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xanthou
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Sorina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghiran
authors.forename: Norma P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Gerard
authors.forename: Channing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Stuart H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Orkin
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerard
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D003094:Collagen