Human airway submucosal glands augment eosinophil chemotaxis during rhinovirus infection.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Asthma exacerbations are frequently associated with rhinovirus (RV) infections. However, the contribution of airway submucosal gland (SMG) to exacerbations of asthma in RV respiratory infection has not been studied.

OBJECTIVE:

This study was undertaken to examine whether RV-infected human respiratory SMG cells produce pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines for eosinophils, and augment eosinophil transmigration across human airway epithelium.

METHODS:

We infected cultured human tracheal SMG cells with RV14, collected culture media at 1, 3, and 5 days after infection, and measured the chemotactic activity for eosinophils in the culture supernatant using a 48-well microchemotaxis chamber and a (51)Cr-labelled eosinophil transmigration assay.

RESULTS:

Exposing a confluent human tracheal SMG cell monolayer to RV14 consistently led to infection. Human SMG cells with RV infection secreted soluble factors activating human eosinophil chemotaxis into the culture supernatant in a time-dependent manner, and the culture supernatant significantly augmented the transmigration of (51)Cr-labelled eosinophils through human airway epithelial cell layers from the basal to mucosal side. These effects were completely abolished by a mixture of a monoclonal antibody regulated on activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES) and an antibody to granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF).

CONCLUSION:

These results suggest that human respiratory SMG cells may augment eosinophil transmigration across the airway epithelium through the secretion of RANTES and GM-CSF after RV infection, and may contribute to exacerbations of asthma.

• Authors: E Furukawa, T Ohrui, M Yamaya, T Suzuki, H Nakasato, T Sasaki, A Kanda, H Yasuda, H Nishimura, H Sasaki
• Journal: Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Clin Exp Allergy) Vol. 34 Issue 5 Pg. 704-11 (May 2004) ISSN: 0954-7894 [Print] England
• PMID: 15144460 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Chemotactic Factors, Eosinophil

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Cells, Cultured
• Chemotactic Factors, Eosinophil (immunology)
• Chemotaxis, Leukocyte
• Common Cold (immunology)
• Endocrine Glands (immunology)
• Eosinophils (immunology)
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Mucous Membrane (immunology)
• Rhinovirus
• Trachea (immunology)