IL-13 is associated with reduced illness and replication in primary respiratory syncytial virus infection in the mouse.
The role of IL-13 in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunopathogenesis is incompletely described. To assess the effect of IL-13 on primary RSV infection, transgenic mice which either overexpress IL-13 in the lung (IL-13 OE) or non-transgenic littermates (IL-13 NT) were challenged intranasally with RSV. IL-13 OE mice had significantly decreased peak viral titers four days after infection compared to non-transgenic littermates. In addition, IL-13 OE mice had significantly lower RSV-induced weight loss and reduced lung IFN-gamma protein expression compared with IL-13 NT mice. In contrast, primary RSV challenge of IL-13 deficient mice resulted in a small, but statistically significant increase in viral titers on day four after infection, no difference in RSV-induced weight loss compared to wild type mice, and augmented IFN-gamma production on day 6 after infection. In STAT1-deficient (STAT1 KO) mice, where primary RSV challenge produced high levels of IL-13 production in the lungs, treatment with an IL-13 neutralizing protein resulted in greater peak viral titers both four and six days after RSV and greater RSV-induced weight loss compared to mice treated with a control protein. These results suggest that IL-13 modulates illness from RSV-infection.
Zhou
Weisong
W
Department of Medicine, T-1218 MCN, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-2650, USA.
Hashimoto
Koichi
K
Moore
Martin L
ML
Elias
Jack A
JA
Zhu
Zhou
Z
Durbin
Joan
J
Colasurdo
Giuseppe
G
Rutigliano
John A
JA
Chiappetta
Constance L
CL
Goleniewska
Kasia
K
O'Neal
Jamye F
JF
Graham
Barney S
BS
Peebles
R Stokes
RS
D000818:Animals; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000502:physiology*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000502:physiology; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication
D018793:Interleukin-13; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; C494080:Stat1 protein, mouse; D007371:Interferon-gamma