title: Bronchial epithelial cells produce IL-5: implications for local immune responses in the airways.
abstract: IL-5 is a pleiotropic cytokine that promotes eosinophil differentiation and survival. While naïve bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) produce low levels of IL-5, the role of BEC-derived IL-5 in allergic airway inflammation is unknown. We now show that BEC, isolated from mice with OVA-induced allergic airway disease (AAD), produced elevated levels of IL-5 mRNA and protein as compared to BEC from naïve mice. To determine the contribution of BEC-derived IL-5 to effector responses in the airways, IL-5 deficient bone marrow chimeric mice were generated in which IL-5 expression was restricted to stromal (e.g. BEC) or hematopoietic cells. When subjected to AAD, IL-5 produced by BECs contributed to mucous metaplasia, airway eosinophilia, and OVA-specific IgA levels. Thus, IL-5 production by BEC can impact the microenvironment of the lung, modifying pathologic and protective immune responses in the airways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-1319, USA. cawu@nso1.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Peluso
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Elizabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Lingenheld
authors.forename: Sharale T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puddington
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology*; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004802:Eosinophilia; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007109:Immunity; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008679:Metaplasia; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018183:Transplantation Chimera
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D015848:Interleukin-5