Allergic Sensitization Driving Immune Phenotyping and Disease Severity in a Mouse Model of Asthma

Asthma is a frequent chronic inflammatory bronchial disease affecting more than 300 million patients worldwide, 70% of whom are secondary to allergy. The diversity of asthmatic endotypes contributes to their complexity. The inter-relationship between allergen and other exposure and the airway microbiome adds to the phenotypic diversity and defines the natural course of asthma. Here, we compared the mouse models of house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic asthma. Allergic sensitization was performed via various routes and associated with outcomes.

Mice were sensitized with HDM via the oral, nasal or percutaneous routes. Lung function, barrier integrity, immune response and microbiota composition were analyzed.

Severe impairment of respiratory function was observed in the mice sensitized by the nasal and cutaneous paths. It was associated with epithelial dysfunction characterized by an increased permeability secondary to junction protein disruption. Such sensitization paths induced a mixed eosinophilic and neutrophilic inflammatory response with high interleukin (IL)-17 airway secretion. In contrast, orally sensitized mice showed a mild impairment of respiratory function. Epithelial dysfunction was mild with increased mucus production, but preserved epithelial junctions. Regarding lung microbiota, sensitization provoked a significant loss of diversity. At the genus level, Cutibacterium, Acinetobacter, Streptococcus and Lactobacillus were found to be modulated according to the sensitization pathway. An increase in theanti-inflammatory microbiota metabolites was observed in the oral-sensitization group.

Our study highlights the strong impact of the sensitization route on the pathophysiology and the critical phenotypic diversity of allergic asthma in a mouse model.