title: Enhancement of Allergen-induced Airway Inflammation by NOX2 Deficiency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  NADPH oxidase (NOX) modulates cell proliferation, differentiation and immune response through generation of reactive oxygen species. Particularly, NOX2 is recently reported to be important for regulating Treg cell differentiation of CD4+ T cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation in wild-type and NOX2-deficient mice and analyzed tissue histopathology and cytokine profiles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We investigated whether NOX2-deficiency affects T cell-mediated airway inflammation. Ovalbumin injection which activates T cell-mediated allergic response increased airway inflammation in wild-type mice, as evidenced by increased immune cell infiltration, allergic cytokine expression, and goblet cell hyperplasia in the lung. Interestingly, NOX2 knockout (KO) mice were more susceptible to allergen-induced lung inflammation compared to wild-type mice. Immune cells including neutrophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and eosinophils were drastically infiltrated into the lung of NOX2 KO mice and mucus secretion was substantially increased in deficiency of NOX2. Furthermore, inflammatory allergic cytokines and eotaxin were significantly elevated in NOX2 KO mice, in accordance with enhanced generation of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-17 and interferon-γ by CD4+ T cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that NOX2 deficiency favorably produces inflammatory cytokines by T cells and thus increases the susceptibility to severe airway inflammation.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Division of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 120-750, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Yeon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Eun Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Hyun Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Eun Sook
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Hwang