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Microbial exposure during early life has persistent effects on natural killer T cell function.

ABSTRACT: Exposure to microbes during early childhood is associated with protection from immune-mediated diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and asthma. Here, we show that in germ-free (GF) mice, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells accumulate in the colonic lamina propria and lung, resulting in increased morbidity in models of IBD and allergic asthma as compared with that of specific pathogen-free mice. This was associated with increased intestinal and pulmonary expression of the chemokine ligand CXCL16, which was associated with increased mucosal iNKT cells. Colonization of neonatal-but not adult-GF mice with a conventional microbiota protected the animals from mucosal iNKT accumulation and related pathology. These results indicate that age-sensitive contact with commensal microbes is critical for establishing mucosal iNKT cell tolerance to later environmental exposures.

SUBMITTER: Olszak T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3437652 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Microbial exposure during early life has persistent effects on natural killer T cell function.

Olszak Torsten T An Dingding D Zeissig Sebastian S Vera Miguel Pinilla MP Richter Julia J Franke Andre A Glickman Jonathan N JN Siebert Reiner R Baron Rebecca M RM Kasper Dennis L DL Blumberg Richard S RS

Science (New York, N.Y.) 20120322 6080

Exposure to microbes during early childhood is associated with protection from immune-mediated diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and asthma. Here, we show that in germ-free (GF) mice, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells accumulate in the colonic lamina propria and lung, resulting in increased morbidity in models of IBD and allergic asthma as compared with that of specific pathogen-free mice. This was associated with increased intestinal and pulmonary expression of the chemoki ...[more]

PMID: 22442383

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Microbial exposure during early life has persistent effects on natural killer T cell function.

Publications

Microbial exposure during early life has persistent effects on natural killer T cell function.

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