High degree of overlap between responses to a virus and to the house dust mite allergen in airway epithelial cells.
BACKGROUND
Airway epithelium is widely considered to play an active role in immune responses through its ability to detect changes in the environment and to generate a microenvironment for immune competent cells. Therefore, besides its role as a physical barrier, epithelium affects the outcome of the immune response by the production of various pro-inflammatory mediators.


METHODS
We stimulated airway epithelial cells with viral double stranded RNA analogue poly(I:C) or with house dust mite in a time course of 24 hours. In order to determine cytokines production by stimulated cells, we performed multiplex enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
We demonstrate that the temporal pattern of the genes that respond to virus exposure in airway epithelium resembles to a significant degree their pattern of response to HDM. The gene expression pattern of EGR1, DUSP1, FOSL1, JUN, MYC, and IL6 is rather similar after viral (poly(I:C)) and HDM exposure. However, both triggers also induce a specific response (e.g. ATF3, FOS, and NFKB1). We confirmed these data by showing that epithelial cells produce a variety of similar mediators in response to both poly(I:C) and HDM challenge (IL1-RA, IL-17, IFN-α and MIP1-α), sometimes with a quantitative difference in response (IL2-R, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, MIG, and HGF). Interestingly, only four mediators (IL-12, IP-10, RANTES and VEGF) where up-regulated specifically by poly(I:C) and not by HDM. Additionally, we report that pre-exposure to HDM deregulates production of cytokines and mediators in response to poly(I:C).


CONCLUSIONS
Epithelial cells responses to the HDM-allergen and a virus strongly resemble both in gene expression and in protein level explaining why these two responses may affect each other.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Korneliusz
K
Golebski
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Silvia
S
Luiten
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Danielle
D
van Egmond
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Esther
E
de Groot
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Kristina Irene Lisolette
KI
Röschmann
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Wytske Johanna
WJ
Fokkens
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Cornelis Maria
CM
van Drunen
D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011070:Poly I-C / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011070:Poly I-C