Lymphotoxin Is Required for Maintaining Physiological Levels of Serum IgE That Minimizes Th1-mediated Airway Inflammation

Hyung Sik Kang, Sarah E. Blink, Robert K. Chin, Youjin Lee, Oliver Kim, Joel Weinstock, Thomas Waldschmidt, Daniel Conrad, Bohao Chen, Julian Solway, Anne I. Sperling, Yang Xin Fu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although elevated levels of IgE in asthmatic patients are strongly associated with lung infiltration by activated T helper (Th) 2 cells, the physiological role of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the airway remains largely undefined. Lymphotoxin-deficient α (LTα-/-) mice exhibit increased airway inflammation, paradoxically accompanied by diminished levels of IgE and reduced airway hyperresponsiveness in response to both environmental and induced antigen challenge. The severe lung inflammation in LTα -/- mice is Th1 in nature and can be alleviated by IgE reconstitution. Conversely, depletion of IgE in wild-type mice recapitulates the lung pathologies of LTα-/- mice. Therefore, this work has revealed that lymphotoxin is essential for IgE production, and a physiological role of IgE in the airway may consist of maintaining the balance of Th1 and Th2 responses to prevent aberrant inflammation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1643-1652
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine
Volume198
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2003

Keywords

  • Allergen
  • Bronchial hyperresponsiveness
  • Cytokines
  • Infiltration
  • T helper cells

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

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