title: Effects of antigen presentation of eosinophils on lung Th1/Th2 imbalance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antigen-loaded eosinophils (EOSs) instilled intratracheally into mice were capable of inducing Th2-type cytokine production in the draining lymph nodes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether EOSs within the tracheobronchial lumen can stimulate Th2 cell expansion in the lung tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Airway EOSs were recovered from ovalbumin-sensitized and -challenged BALB/c mice, these EOSs were then cocultured with CD4+ cells isolated from sensitized mice in the absence or presence of anti-CD80 or/and -CD86 monoclonal antibodies. Airway EOSs were instilled into the trachea of sensitized mice. At the day 3 thereafter, the lung tissues were removed and prepared into cell suspensions for culture. Cell-free culture supernatants were collected for detection of cytokines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Airway EOSs functioned as CD80- and CD86-dependent antigen-presenting cells to stimulate lung CD4+ lymphocytes to produce interleukin-4, interleukin-5 and interleukin-13, but not interferon-gamma in in vitro assay. When instilled intratracheally in sensitized recipient mice, airway EOSs primed lung Th2 cells in vivo for interleukin-4, interleukin-5 and interleukin-13, but not interferon-gamma, production during the in vitro culture that was also CD80- and CD86-dependent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EOSs within the lumina of airways could process inhaled antigen and function in vitro and in vivo as antigen-presenting cells to promote expansion of Th2 cells in the lungs.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
authors.forename: Zheng-fu
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Huan-zhong
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Xue-jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Lan-fu
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Chun-ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yi-qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000502:physiology; D018122:B7-1 Antigen / Q000502:physiology; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018122:B7-1 Antigen; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; C497965:Cd86 protein, mouse; D016207:Cytokines; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins