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Virus-induced asthma attack: The importance of allergic inflammation in response to viral antigen in an animal model of asthma.

ABSTRACT: Asthma exacerbation can be a life-threatening condition, and is most often triggered by common respiratory viruses. Poor asthma control and worsening of respiratory function is associated with increased airway inflammation, including eosinophilia. Prevention of asthma exacerbation relies on treatment with corticosteroids, which preferentially inhibit allergic inflammation like eosinophils. Human studies demonstrate that inactivated virus can trigger eosinophil activation in vitro through antigen presentation and memory CD4+ lymphocytes. We hypothesized that animals with immunologic memory to a respiratory virus would also develop airway hyperresponsiveness in response to a UV-inactivated form of the virus if they have pre-existing allergic airway inflammation. Guinea pigs were ovalbumin-sensitized, infected with live parainfluenza virus (PIV), aerosol-challenged with ovalbumin, and then re-inoculated 60 days later with live or UV-inactivated PIV. Some animals were either treated with dexamethasone prior to the second viral exposure. Lymphocytes were isolated from parabronchial lymph nodes to confirm immunologic memory to the virus. Airway reactivity was measured and inflammation was assessed using bronchoalveolar lavage and lung histology. The induction of viral immunologic memory was confirmed in infected animals. Allergen sensitized and challenged animals developed airway hyperreactivity with eosinophilic airway inflammation when re-exposed to UV-inactivated PIV, while non-sensitized animals did not. Airway hyperreactivity in the sensitized animals was inhibited by pre-treatment with dexamethasone. We suggest that the response of allergic inflammation to virus antigen is a significant factor causing asthma exacerbation. We propose that this is one mechanism explaining how corticosteroids prevent virus-induced asthma attack.

SUBMITTER: Skappak C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5524340 | biostudies-other | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:Allergic asthma is characterized by airway eosinophilia, increased mucin production and allergen-specific IgE. Fc gamma receptor IIb (FcgammaRIIb), an inhibitory IgG receptor, has recently emerged as a negative regulator of allergic diseases like anaphylaxis and allergic rhinitis. However, no studies to date have evaluated its role in allergic asthma. Our main objective was to study the role of FcgammaRIIb in allergic lung inflammation. We used a murine model of allergic airway inflammation. Inflammation was quantified by BAL inflammatory cells and airway mucin production. FcgammaRIIb expression was measured by qPCR and flow cytometry and the cytokines were quantified by ELISA. Compared to wild type animals, FcgammaRIIb deficient mice mount a vigorous allergic lung inflammation characterized by increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cellularity, eosinophilia and mucin content upon ragweed extract (RWE) challenge. RWE challenge in sensitized mice upregulated FcgammaRIIb in the lungs. Disruption of IFN-gamma gene abrogated this upregulation. Treatment of naïve mice with the Th1-inducing agent CpG DNA increased FcgammaRIIb expression in the lungs. Furthermore, treatment of sensitized mice with CpG DNA prior to RWE challenge induced greater upregulation of FcgammaRIIb than RWE challenge alone. These observations indicated that RWE challenge upregulated FcgammaRIIb in the lungs by IFN-gamma- and Th1-dependent mechanisms. RWE challenge upregulated FcgammaRIIb on pulmonary CD14+/MHC II+ mononuclear cells and CD11c+ cells. FcgammaRIIb deficient mice also exhibited an exaggerated RWE-specific IgE response upon sensitization when compared to wild type mice. We propose that FcgammaRIIb physiologically regulates allergic airway inflammation by two mechanisms: 1) allergen challenge mediates upregulation of FcgammaRIIb on pulmonary CD14+/MHC II+ mononuclear cells and CD11c+ cells by an IFN-gamma dependent mechanism; and 2) by attenuating the allergen specific IgE response during sensitization. Thus, stimulating FcgammaRIIb may be a therapeutic strategy in allergic airway disorders.

Project description:Despite significant advances, asthma remains a cause of premature death, and current treatments are suboptimal. Antigen-specific Th2 cells and their cytokines are primary mediators of the pathophysiological changes seen in asthma. Studies in animal models have shown that mycobacteria can suppress the asthma phenotype by alteration of the Th1/Th2 cytokines ratio. In this study, utilizing a Th1 delivery system to modulate the allergic airway inflammation in a Th2-driven model of asthma, we evaluated the efficacy of immunization with Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigen Rv3619c, either alone or in combination with low dose dexamethasone. The rv3619c gene was cloned in an expression plasmid pGES-TH-1, expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein Rv3619c was purified to homogeneity using affinity chromatography. Mice were immunized with the recombinant protein emulsified in Freund's Incomplete Adjuvant (IFA) alone and in combination with low dose dexamethasone, and then challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). Airway inflammation was assessed by quantifying airway cytology, histological changes and Th2 cytokine (IL-5) secretion from splenocytes. OVA-specific IgE, IgG and IgG1 from sera was assessed, as well as pERK1/2 expression in the lung tissue. Immunization with recombinant Rv3619c alone inhibited the OVA-induced increase in total cell counts, eosinophil airway cell infiltration in BAL fluid, perivascular and peribronchial inflammation and fibrosis, and goblet cell hyper/metaplasia. In addition, Rv3619c/IFA inhibited the OVA-induced IL-5 in spleen cells, OVA-specific IgE, IgG, and IgG1 levels in sera, and pERK1/2 expression in lung tissue. Immunization with Rv3619c/IFA in combination with low dose dexamethasone resulted in an enhanced effect on some but not all the asthma features. Taken together, this study demonstrates that immunization with Rv3619c/IFA, alone or in combination with dexamethasone, may be an effective treatment strategy for the prevention of asthma.

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Virus-induced asthma attack: The importance of allergic inflammation in response to viral antigen in an animal model of asthma.

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