| First Author | Devos FC | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | PLoS One | Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | e0180690 |
| PubMed ID | 28704401 | Mgi Jnum | J:246209 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5916581 | Doi | 10.1371/journal.pone.0180690 |
| Citation | Devos FC, et al. (2017) IL-13 is a central mediator of chemical-induced airway hyperreactivity in mice. PLoS One 12(7):e0180690 |
| abstractText | BACKGROUND: While the importance of the Th2 cytokine IL-13 as a central mediator of airway hyperreactivity (AHR) has been described in allergic protein-induced asthma, this has never been investigated in chemical-induced asthma. OBJECTIVE: We examined the importance of IL-13 in a mouse model of chemical-induced AHR, using toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI). METHODS: In a first set-up, wild type (WT) and IL-13 knockout (KO) C57Bl/6 mice were dermally treated on days 1 and 8 with 1% TDI or vehicle (acetone/olive oil) on both ears. On day 15, mice received an intranasal instillation with 0.1% TDI or vehicle. In a second set-up, WT mice sensitized with 1% TDI or vehicle, received i.v. either anti-IL-13 or control antibody prior to the intranasal challenge. RESULTS: TDI-sensitized and TDI-challenged WT mice showed AHR to methacholine, in contrast to TDI-sensitized and TDI-challenged IL-13 KO mice, which also showed lower levels of total serum IgE. TDI-sensitized and TDI-challenged IL-13 KO mice had lower numbers of T-cells in the auricular lymph nodes. TDI-treated WT mice, receiving anti-IL-13, showed no AHR, in contrast to those receiving control antibody, despite increased levels of IgE. Anti-IL-13 treatment in TDI-treated WT mice resulted in lower levels of serum IL-13, but did not induce changes in T- and B-cell numbers, and in the cytokine production profile. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We conclude that IL-13 plays a critical role in the effector phase of chemical-induced, immune-mediated AHR. This implicates that anti-IL-13 treatment could have a beneficial effect in patients with this asthma phenotype. |
