Thymic stromal lymphopoietin plays divergent roles in murine models of atopic and nonatopic airway inflammation

BackgroundThymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine primarily produced by epithelial cells, which has been shown to be a potent inducer of T-helper 2 (Th2)-type responses. However, TSLP has pleiotropic effects upon immune cells, and although extensively studied in the context of atopic asthma, its relevance as a therapeutic target and its role in the pathogenesis of nonatopic asthma remains unknown. We sought to investigate the role of TSLP in atopic, nonatopic and viral-induced exacerbations of pulmonary inflammation. MethodsUsing stringently defined murine models of atopic, nonatopic and virally exacerbated forms of pulmonary inflammation, we compared inflammatory responses of C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and TSLP receptor-deficient (TSLPR KO) mice. ResultsThymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor (TSLPR) signaling was crucial for the development of atopic asthma. Specifically, TSLPR signaling to lung recruited CD4+ T cells enhanced eosinophilia, goblet cell hyperplasia, and overall inflammation within the airways. In contrast, the absence of TSLPR signaling was associated with strikingly exaggerated pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation in a nonatopic model of airway inflammation. The inflammation was associated with excessive levels of interleukin (IL)-17A in the lungs, indicating that TSLP negatively regulates IL-17A. In addition, in a model of influenza-induced exacerbation of atopic airway inflammation, the absence of TSLPR signaling also led to exaggerated neutrophilic inflammation. ConclusionThymic stromal lymphopoietin plays divergent roles in the pathogenesis of atopic and nonatopic asthma phenotypes by either enhancing Th2 responses or curtailing T-helper 17 responses. These findings raise important caveats for the design of therapeutic interventions targeting TSLP in asthma.

Bystander suppression of allergic airway inflammation by lung resident memory CD8+ T cells

Nicola Harris, Benjamin John Marsland

CD8+ memory T cells have recently been recognized as playing a key role in natural immunity against unrelated viral infections, a phenomenon referred to as "heterologous antiviral immunity." We now provide data that the cellular immunological interactions that underlie such heterologous immunity can play an equally important role in regulating T helper 2 immune responses and protecting mucosal surfaces from allergen-induced inflammation. Our data show that CD8+ T cells, either retained in the lung after infection with influenza virus, or adoptively transferred via the intranasal route can suppress allergic airway inflammation. The suppression is mediated by IFN-gamma, which acts to reduce the activation level, T helper 2 cytokine production, airways hyperresponsiveness, and migration of allergen-specific CD4+ T cells into the lung, whereas the systemic and draining lymph node responses remain unchanged. Of note, adoptive transfer of previously activated transgenic CD8+ T cells conferred protection against allergic airway inflammation, even in the absence of specific-antigen. Airway resident CD8+ T cells produced IFN-gamma when directly exposed to conditioned media from activated dendritic cells or the proinflammatory cytokines IL-12 and IL-18. Taken together these data indicate that effector/memory CD8+ T cells present in the airways produce IFN-gamma after inflammatory stimuli, independent of specific-antigen, and as a consequence play a key role in modifying the degree and frequency of allergic responses in the lung.

2004

Modulation of Dendritic Cells Function by H. polygyrus Products

Blaise Dayer

Dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial antigen-presenting cells that can drastically change the development of an immune response by polarising T helper cells toward a Th1 or a Th2 phenotype. Heligmosomoides polygyrus, a murine model of human helminth, has been shown to strongly down-regulate its host immune response. At the DC level, its excretory/secretory products (HES) modulate the cytokine response and co-stimulatory marker expression to bacterial stimulation in favour of an antiinflammatory environment. A regulatory T cell-inducing TGF[beta]-like activity was also discovered in HES. In this work, we further characterised the immunomodulatory properties of HES and heat-inactivated HES both in vitro, using LPS-pulsed GM-CSF-grown bone marrowderived DCs, and in in vivo adoptive transfer of HES-, bacterial extract- or co-pulsed DCs. To determine if the TGF[beta], C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) or toll-like receptors (TLRs) were implicated in this immunomodulation, we treated DCs with blocking antibodies, chemical kinase inhibitors and grew DCs from knockout mice. These studies revealed that HES immunomodulation of DCs was independent of the TGF[beta] receptor, the two CLRs, Dectin-1 and 2, as well as any TLR. Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), which is crucial for the signalling of many CLRs, and phosphoinositide 3- kinase seemed not to be needed as well. In an attempt to reduce the number of potential immunomodulators in HES, HES size fractions were tested for their ability to reduce LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production of DCs. The activity was limited to few fractions, fraction 14 being the most potent. Finally, physical interactions between DCs and biotinylated HES were measured by flow cytometry and revealed that CD24, a molecule required for HES interactions with B cells, was implicated, but not crucial. HES binding to CD24-/- DCs was reduced, but the LPS-induced cytokines and co-stimulatory markers levels were still down-regulated upon HES co-treatment.

2011

TSLP promotes influenza-specific CD8+ T-cell responses by augmenting local inflammatory dendritic cell function

Nicola Harris, Benjamin John Marsland

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a mucosal tissue-associated cytokine that has been widely studied in the context of T helper type 2 (Th2)-driven inflammatory disorders. Although TSLP is also produced upon viral infection in vitro, the role of TSLP in antiviral immunity is unknown. In this study we report a novel role for TSLP in promoting viral clearance and virus-specific CD8+ T-cell responses during influenza A infection. Comparing the immune responses of wild-type and TSLP receptor (TSLPR)-deficient mice, we show that TSLP was required for the expansion and activation of virus-specific effector CD8+ T cells in the lung, but not the lymph node. The mechanism involved TSLPR signaling on newly recruited CD11b+ inflammatory dendritic cells (DCs) that acted to enhance interleukin-15 production and expression of the costimulatory molecule CD70. Taken together, these data highlight the pleiotropic activities of TSLP and provide evidence for its beneficial role in antiviral immunity.Mucosal Immunology advance online publication 18 July 2012; doi:10.1038/mi.2012.50.

Nature Publishing Group2013

Modulation of Dendritic Cells Function by H. polygyrus Products

Blaise Dayer

2011