Role of IL-23-Th17 cell axis in allergic airway inflammation.
Asthma is characterized by chronic airway inflammation with intense eosinophil and lymphocyte infiltration, mucus hyperproduction, and airway hyperresponsiveness to a variety of stimuli. It is now generally accepted that antigen-specific Th2 cells and their cytokines orchestrate these pathognomonic features of asthma. On the other hand, Th17 cells and IL-23, a cytokine that preferentially expands Th17 cells, play a significant role in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases, including autoimmune diseases. Recently, we have shown that IL-23 and Th17 cells enhance not only neutrophilic airway inflammation but also Th2 cell-mediated eosinophilic airway inflammation in a murine asthma model. In this review, we will discuss the roles of IL-23 and Th17 cells in airway inflammation in asthma.
Wakashin
Hidefumi
H
Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
Hirose
Koichi
K
Iwamoto
Itsuo
I
Nakajima
Hiroshi
H
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D020381:Interleukin-17; D053759:Interleukin-23