TIM-3 is not essential for development of airway inflammation induced by house dust mite antigens.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain-containing molecule 3 (TIM-3), which is preferentially expressed on Th1 cells rather than Th2 cells, is considered to be a negative regulator of Th1 cell function. This suggests that TIM-3 indirectly enhances Th2-type immune responses by suppressing Th1 cell function.

METHODS:

To investigate TIM-3's possible involvement in Th2-type acute and chronic airway inflammation, wild-type and TIM-3-deficient (TIM-3-/-) mice were sensitized and challenged with a house dust mite (HDM) extract. Airway inflammation and the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs) in the mice were determined by histological analysis and with a hemocytometer, respectively. Expression of mRNA in the lungs was determined by quantitative PCR, while the levels of cytokines in the BALFs and IgE in sera were determined by ELISA.

RESULTS:

Despite constitutive expression of TIM-3 mRNA in the lungs, the number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs) and the score of pulmonary inflammation were comparable between wild-type and TIM-3-/- mice during both acute and chronic HDM-induced airway inflammation. On the other hand, the number of lymphocytes in the BALFs of TIM-3-/- mice was significantly increased compared with wild-type mice during HDM-induced chronic, but not acute, airway inflammation, while the levels of Th2 cytokines in the BALFs and HDM-specific IgG1 and IgG2a and total IgE in the sera were comparable in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings indicate that, in mice, TIM-3 is not essential for development of HDM-induced acute or chronic allergic airway inflammation, although it appears to be involved in reduced lymphocyte recruitment during HDM-induced chronic allergic airway inflammation.

• Authors: Yoshihisa Hiraishi, Aya Nambu, Akiko Shibui, Wakako Nakanishi, Sachiko Yamaguchi, Hideaki Morita, Motoyasu Iikura, Andrew N J McKenzie, Kenji Matsumoto, Katsuko Sudo, Tatsuya Yamasoba, Takahide Nagase, Susumu Nakae
• Journal: Allergology international : official journal of the Japanese Society of Allergology (Allergol Int) Vol. 65 Issue 4 Pg. 459-465 (Oct 2016) ISSN: 1440-1592 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 27209052 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antigens, Dermatophagoides
• Cytokines
• HAVCR2 protein, human
• Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2
• Immunoglobulin E

Topics

• Animals
• Antigens, Dermatophagoides (immunology)
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (immunology)
• Cytokines
• Disease Models, Animal
• Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2 (genetics)
• Immunoglobulin E (immunology)
• Inflammation (genetics, immunology, metabolism, pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Knockout
• Respiratory Tract Diseases (genetics, immunology, pathology)
• Th1 Cells (immunology, metabolism)
• Th2 Cells (immunology, metabolism)