title: Immunization against TGF-β1 reduces collagen deposition but increases sustained inflammation in a murine asthma model.
abstract: Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 is involved in the processes of airway inflammation and remodeling; however, its reported roles in asthma pathogenesis are controversial. We sought both to investigate the effects of active immunization targeting TGF-β1 on allergen-induced airway inflammatory responses and to evaluate its possible application for asthma treatment. BALB/c mice were immunized with a virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccine presenting a TGF-β1 peptide. For the preventive intervention of acute allergic airway inflammation, immunization was conducted before sensitization and challenges with ovalbumin (OVA), and for the therapeutic treatment of chronic inflammatory responses, immunization was initiated after inflammatory responses were established. Preventive immunization with VLPs led to increased proinflammatory IL-4, IL-13, and IL-33 levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) with no significant effects on lung tissue inflammation and airway goblet cell hyperplasia. Therapeutic treatment showed that at 24 h after the fourth 2-day challenge with OVA following 2 intraperitoneal sensitizations, airway subepithelial collagen deposition was significantly ameliorated in vaccinated mice, whereas the lung histology and cytokine profile in the BALF were not changed. In contrast, after a 4-week recovery from the last OVA challenge, the vaccinated mice's collagen deposition remained reduced, but they sustained lung-tissue inflammation and goblet-cell hyperplasia; elevated IL-13, TNF, and IFN-γ levels in the BALF; and increased airway resistance, tissue resistance, and tissue elastance. In a conclusion, the role of TGF-β1 is complicated in allergic airway inflammatory responses. It is important to make a careful assessment in accordance with specific disease conditions when targeting TGF-β1 for a therapeutic purpose.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Kunming , China.
authors.forename: Yanbing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Kunming , China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Kunming , China.
authors.forename: Cunbao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Kunming , China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Kunming , China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Kunming , China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Kunming , China.
authors.forename: Wenjia
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Kunming , China.
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: b Department of Viral Immunology , Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Qihan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: c Department of Pediatrics and Child Health , University of Manitoba , Winnipeg , Canada.
authors.forename: Zhikang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle; D010047:Ovalbumin; D003094:Collagen
keywords: TGF-β1; asthma; inflammation; remodeling; virus-like particles (VLPs)