CpG-ODN inhibits airway inflammation at effector phase through down-regulation of antigen-specific Th2-cell migration into lung

Int Immunol. 2008 Feb;20(2):259-66. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxm138. Epub 2007 Dec 21.

Abstract

Allergic airway inflammation is one of the most typical characteristic features of bronchial asthma. T(h)2 cells, which produce IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, are well known as major effector lymphocytes of the inflammation. In the present work, we found that subcutaneous injection of Toll-like receptor-9-ligand, CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN), remarkably suppressed eosinophilia and mucus hyper-production in T(h)2 cell-dependent airway inflammation model at the effector phase. The injection of CpG-ODN significantly blocked T(h)2 cell migration into lung. The inhibitory effects of CpG-ODN were observed even when IFN-gamma-deficient T(h)2 cells were transferred into IFN-gamma(-/-) mice. In contrast, the administration of neutralizing mAbs against type I cytokines such as IFN-alpha, IFN-beta and IL-12 significantly suppressed the inhibitory effect of CpG-ODN on airway inflammation and T(h)2 cell migration into the lung. We further demonstrated that the production of T(h)2 chemokines, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), was significantly reduced by the CpG-ODN. The reduction of both TARC and MDC was also inhibited by the blockade of IFN-alpha, IFN-beta and IL-12 with mAbs. Thus, we revealed here that IFN-alpha, IFN-beta and IL-12, but not IFN-gamma, were required for the inhibitory effect of CpG-ODN in T(h)2 cell-mediated allergic airway inflammation. The present evidence strongly suggest that induction of type I cytokines would be promising therapeutic targets in T(h)2-dependent allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / administration & dosage
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antigens / immunology
  • Bronchial Hyperreactivity / immunology
  • Bronchial Hyperreactivity / prevention & control*
  • Cell Movement / immunology*
  • CpG Islands
  • Down-Regulation
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / prevention & control*
  • Interferon-alpha / metabolism
  • Interferon-beta / metabolism
  • Interleukin-12 / metabolism
  • Lung / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / administration & dosage
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / pharmacology*
  • Th2 Cells / cytology
  • Th2 Cells / immunology*

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Antigens
  • CPG-oligonucleotide
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Interleukin-12
  • Interferon-beta