Interleukin-17 drives pulmonary eosinophilia following repeated exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus conidia

BJ Murdock, NR Falkowski, AB Shreiner… - Infection and …, 2012 - Am Soc Microbiol
BJ Murdock, NR Falkowski, AB Shreiner, AA Sadighi Akha, RA McDonald, ES White
Infection and immunity, 2012Am Soc Microbiol
Previous research in our laboratory has demonstrated that repeated intranasal exposure to
Aspergillus fumigatus conidia in C57BL/6 mice results in a chronic pulmonary inflammatory
response that reaches its maximal level after four challenges. The inflammatory response is
characterized by eosinophilia, goblet cell metaplasia, and T helper TH2 cytokine production,
which is accompanied by sustained interleukin-17 (IL-17) expression that persists even after
the TH2 response has begun to resolve. TH17 cells could develop in mice deficient in …
Abstract
Previous research in our laboratory has demonstrated that repeated intranasal exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus conidia in C57BL/6 mice results in a chronic pulmonary inflammatory response that reaches its maximal level after four challenges. The inflammatory response is characterized by eosinophilia, goblet cell metaplasia, and T helper TH2 cytokine production, which is accompanied by sustained interleukin-17 (IL-17) expression that persists even after the TH2 response has begun to resolve. TH17 cells could develop in mice deficient in gamma interferon (IFN-γ), IL-4, or IL-10. In the lungs of IL-17 knockout mice repeatedly challenged with A. fumigatus conidia, inflammation was attenuated (with the most significant decrease occurring in eosinophils), conidial clearance was enhanced, and the early transient peak of CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ cells blunted. IL-17 appeared to play only a minor role in eosinophil differentiation in the bone marrow but a central role in eosinophil extravasation from the blood into the lungs. These observations point to an expanded role for IL-17 in driving TH2-type inflammation to repeated inhalation of fungal conidia.
American Society for Microbiology