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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
Neonatal rhinovirus induces mucous metaplasia and airways hyperresponsiveness through IL-25 and type 2 innate
Jun Young Hong1, J Kelley Bentley2, Yutein Chung2
1Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Background:
Early-life human rhinovirus infection has been linked to asthma development in high-risk infants and children. Nevertheless, the role of rhinovirus infection in the initiation of asthma remains unclear.
Objective:
We hypothesized that, in contrast to infection of mature BALB/c mice, neonatal infection with rhinovirus promotes an IL-25-driven type 2 response, which causes persistent mucous metaplasia and airways hyperresponsiveness.
Methods:
Six-day-old and 8-week-old BALB/c mice were inoculated with sham HeLa cell lysate or rhinovirus. Airway responses from 1 to 28 days after infection were assessed by using quantitative PCR, ELISA, histology, immunofluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and methacholine responsiveness. Selected mice were treated with a neutralizing antibody to IL-25.
Results:
Compared with mature mice, rhinovirus infection in neonatal mice increased lung IL-13 and IL-25 production, whereas IFN-γ, IL-12p40, and TNF-α expression was suppressed. In addition, the population of IL-13-secreting type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) was expanded with rhinovirus infection in neonatal but not mature mice. ILC2s were the major cell type secreting IL-13 in neonates. Finally, anti-IL-25 neutralizing antibody attenuated ILC2 expansion, mucous hypersecretion, and airways responsiveness.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that early-life viral infection could contribute to asthma development by provoking age-dependent, IL-25-driven type 2 immune responses.
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