| First Author | Neveu WA | Year | 2009 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 183 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 1732-8 |
| PubMed ID | 19592651 | Mgi Jnum | J:151600 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:4354481 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.0802923 |
| Citation | Neveu WA, et al. (2009) IL-6 is required for airway mucus production induced by inhaled fungal allergens. J Immunol 183(3):1732-8 |
| abstractText | Allergic asthma is caused by inhaled allergens and is characterized by airway eosinophilia, as well as mucus hypersecretion, which can lead to airflow obstruction. Despite the association of increased IL-6 levels with human atopic asthma, the contribution of IL-6 to the development of allergic airway inflammation triggered by inhaled allergens remains unclear. In this study, we examined the role of IL-6 in a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation induced by direct airway exposure to extracts of Aspergillus fumigatus, a common allergen in humans. We show that inhaled A. fumigatus extracts rapidly trigger the production of IL-6 in the airways. IL-6 appears to be dispensable for the recruitment of eosinophils to the lung during the development of allergic airway inflammation. However, IL-6 is essential for mucus hypersecretion by airway epithelial cells triggered in response to inhaled A. fumigatus Ags. Impaired mucus production caused by IL-6 deficiency correlates with a severe reduction in the levels of IL-13, a major inducer of mucin glycoproteins. Thus, IL-6 is a key regulator of specific hallmark features of allergic airway inflammation and it could be a potential target for pulmonary diseases that are associated with goblet cell metaplasia and mucus hypersecretion. |
