title: Expression of the Th1-specific cell-surface protein Tim-3 increases in a murine model of atopic asthma.
abstract: T-cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 (Tim-3) is preferentially expressed on Th1-helper type T-cells and functions to repress the Th1-mediated immune response. However, the role of Tim-3 during the inflammatory pathogenesis of asthma remains unclear. This study determines the expression level of Tim-3 in CD4+ T-cells within the peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) isolated from a murine model of atopic asthma and explores the potential role of Tim-3 during the inflammatory response. Mice were randomly divided into normal control, asthma day 1, and asthma day 7 groups, and peripheral blood T lymphocytes and BALF cells were collected. The ratio of Tim-3+/CD4+ cells among the total CD4+cell populations from peripheral blood and BALF was determined by flow cytometry, and the expression of the Tim-3 mRNA was determined by Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). In contrast with the normal control group, the ratio of Tim-3+/CD4+:CD4+ cells and the level of Tim-3 mRNA in both the peripheral blood T lymphocytes and BALF cells among the asthma day 1 and asthma day 7 groups were significantly increased (p < 0.01), and those in the asthma day 7 group were higher than the asthma day 1 group (p < 0.05). There was also a positive correlation between the ratio of Tim-3+/CD4+:CD4+ detected in BALF and that the ratio detected in peripheral blood T lymphocytes (r = 0.84, p < 0.01). Therefore, the expression of Tim-3 is increased in CD4+ T-cells following airway challenge and likely affects asthma-induced inflammation by repressing the Th1-mediated immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei-Kun
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiao-Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guo-Peng
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Shi-Xin
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Wei-Ning
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Sheng-Dao
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D000072597:Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C442241:Havcr2 protein, mouse; D000072597:Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D010047:Ovalbumin