Allergen Exposure in Lymphopenic Fas-Deficient Mice Results in Persistent Eosinophilia Due to Defects in Resolution of Inflammation

Caroline M. Ferreira, Jesse W. Williams, Jiankun Tong, Crystal Rayon, Kelly M. Blaine, Anne I. Sperling

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Asthma is characterized by chronic airway type-2 inflammation and eosinophilia, yet the mechanisms involved in chronic, non-resolving inflammation remain poorly defined. Previously, our group has found that when Rag-deficient mice were reconstituted with Fas-deficient B6 LPR T cells and sensitized and challenged, the mice developed a prolonged type-2-mediated airway inflammation that continued for more than 6 weeks after the last antigen exposure. Surprisingly, no defect in resolution was found when intact B6 LPR mice or T cell specific Fas-conditional knockout mice were sensitized and challenged. We hypothesize that the homeostatic proliferation induced by adoptive transfer of T cells into Rag-deficient mice may be an important mechanism involved in the lack of resolution. To investigate the role of homeostatic proliferation, we induced lymphopenia in the T cell-specific Fas-conditional knockout mice by non-lethal irradiation and sensitized them when T cells began to repopulate. Interestingly, we found that defective Fas signaling on T cells plus antigen exposure during homeostatic proliferation was sufficient to induce prolonged eosinophilic airway inflammation. In conclusion, our data show that the combination of transient lymphopenia, abnormal Fas-signaling, and antigen exposure leads to the development of a prolonged airway eosinophilic inflammatory phase in our mouse model of experimental asthma.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Number of pages1
JournalFrontiers in immunology
Volume9
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • apoptosis
  • asthma
  • eosinophils
  • inflammation
  • lung
  • lymphopenia
  • Th1/Th2 cells

PubMed: MeSH publication types

  • Journal Article
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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