title: Chitin enhances serum IgE in Aspergillus fumigatus induced allergy in mice.
abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) is a ubiquitous fungus that activates, suppresses or modulates the immune response by changing its cell wall structure and by secreting proteases. In this study, we show that chitin acts as an adjuvant in a murine model of A. fumigatus protease induced allergy. The mice were immunised intraperitoneally with A. fumigatus culture filtrate antigen either with or without chitin and were subsequently challenged with the culture filtrate antigen intranasally. Alum was used as an adjuvant control. Compared to alum, chitin induced a weaker inflammatory response in the lungs, measured as the total cell efflux in BAL, EPO and chitinase production. However, chitin enhanced the total IgE, specific IgE and specific IgG1 production as efficiently as alum. Pre-treatment with chitin but not with alum depressed the concentration of the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 in BAL fluid. These results shows that chitin, in spite of a reduction of the Th2 cytokine levels in the lungs, enhanced the total and specific IgE production in A. fumigatus culture filtrate induced allergy.
authors: Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Cancer and Inflammation, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C 5000, Denmark.
authors: Lalit Kumar
authors: LK
authors: Dubey
authors: Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Cancer and Inflammation, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C 5000, Denmark.
authors: Jesper Bonnet
authors: JB
authors: Moeller
authors: Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Cancer and Inflammation, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C 5000, Denmark.
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Schlosser
authors: Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Cancer and Inflammation, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C 5000, Denmark.
authors: Grith Lykke
authors: GL
authors: Sorensen
authors: Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Cancer and Inflammation, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C 5000, Denmark. Electronic address: uholmskov@health.sdu.dk.
authors: Uffe
authors: U
authors: Holmskov
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000276:immunology*; D002686:Chitin / Q000276:immunology*; D002688:Chitinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000485:Allergens; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D002686:Chitin; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D009195:Peroxidase; D002688:Chitinases
keywords: Aspergillus fumigatus; Chitin; Fungal cell wall polysaccharides; IgE; Innate immunity; Lung inflammation