Summary Sex hormones regulate many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including asthma. As adults, asthma prevalence is 2-fold greater in women compared to men. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) are increased in asthma, and we investigated how testosterone attenuated ILC2 function. In patients with moderate to severe asthma, we determined that women had increased circulating ILC2 numbers compared to men. In mice, ILC2 from adult females had increased IL-2-mediated ILC2 proliferation versus ILC2 from adult males and pre-pubescent females and males. Further, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, a hormone downstream of testosterone, decreased lung ILC2 numbers and IL-5 and IL-13 expression from ILC2. In vivo, testosterone attenuated Alternaria extract-induced IL-5+ and IL-13+ ILC2 numbers and lung eosinophils by intrinsically decreasing lung ILC2 numbers and cytokine expression as well as decreasing expression of IL-33 and TSLP, ILC2 stimulating cytokines. Collectively, these findings provide a foundational understanding in the sexual dimorphism in ILC2 function.

Airway mucus is a hallmark of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract illness. Laboratory RSV strains differentially induce airway mucus production in mice. Here, we tested the hypothesis that RSV strains differ in pathogenesis by screening six low-passage RSV clinical isolates for mucogenicity and virulence in BALB/cJ mice. The RSV clinical isolates induced variable disease severity, lung interleukin-13 (IL-13) levels, and gob-5 levels in BALB/cJ mice. We chose two of these clinical isolates for further study. Infection of BALB/cJ mice with RSV A2001/2-20 (2-20) resulted in greater disease severity, higher lung IL-13 levels, and higher lung gob-5 levels than infection with RSV strains A2, line 19, Long, and A2001/3-12 (3-12). Like the line 19 RSV strain, the 2-20 clinical isolate induced airway mucin expression in BALB/cJ mice. The 2-20 and 3-12 RSV clinical isolates had higher lung viral loads than laboratory RSV strains at 1 day postinfection (p.i.). This increased viral load correlated with higher viral antigen levels in the bronchiolar epithelium and greater histopathologic changes at 1 day p.i. The A2 RSV strain had the highest peak viral load at day 4 p.i. RSV 2-20 infection caused epithelial desquamation, bronchiolitis, airway hyperresponsiveness, and increased breathing effort in BALB/cJ mice. We found that RSV clinical isolates induce variable pathogenesis in mice, and we established a mouse model of clinical isolate strain-dependent RSV pathogenesis that recapitulates key features of RSV disease.Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important cause of bronchiolitis and viral pneumonia in children. Each year in the United States, RSV causes lower respiratory tract illness (LRI) in 20 to 30% of infants and leads to the hospitalization of approximately 1% of infants at a cost of $300 to $400 million (19,21,27). The incidence and disease severity of RSV can vary from year to year (47). Dominant circulating RSV strains are generally replaced each year, likely by a process involving immune selection (5,6,53,54). RSV strain differences may contribute to year-to-year and/or patient-topatient variations in clinical severity.In BALB/cJ mice, laboratory RSV strains (A2, Long, and line 19) differ in their ability to cause pulmonary interleukin-13 (IL-13) and mucin expression (34, 41). We are interested in RSV-induced mucin expression in mice because mucus overabundance contributes to airway obstruction in severe RSV disease in children (2,33,44,56). IL-13 is a cytokine linked to mucus production (71). The line 19 RSV strain induces lung IL-13 and airway mucin expression in BALB/cJ mice, whereas the A2 and Long RSV strains do not (34, 41). However, the in vitro passage histories of RSV strains A2, Long, and line 19 are not defined and involve many serial passages. Thus, it is possible that mutations in these RSV laboratory strains determine pathogenesis phenotypes in the mouse model. RSV clinical isolates have not been studied extensively in vivo, and the role of RSV strain differences in...

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major healthcare burden with a particularly high worldwide morbidity and mortality rate among infants. Data suggest that severe RSV-associated illness is in part caused by immunopathology associated with a robust type 2 response. Objective To determine the capacity of RSV-infection to stimulate group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) and the associated mechanism in a murine model. Methods WT BALB/c, TSLPR KO, or WT mice receiving an anti-TSLP neutralizing antibody were infected with the RSV strain 01/2-20. During the first 4–6 days of infection, lungs were collected for evaluation of viral load, protein concentration, airway mucus, airway reactivity, or ILC2 numbers. Results were confirmed with two additional RSV clinical isolates, 12/11-19 and 12/12-6, with known human pathogenic potential. Results RSV induced a 3-fold increase in the number of IL-13-producing ILC2 at day 4 postinfection with a concurrent increase in total lung IL-13 levels. Both TSLP and IL-33 were increased 12 hours post-infection. TSLPR KO mice failed to mount an IL-13-producing ILC2 response to RSV infection. Additionally, neutralization of TSLP significantly attenuated the RSV-induced IL-13-producing ILC2 response. TSLPR KO mice displayed reduced lung IL-13 protein, decreased airway mucus and reactivity, attenuated weight loss, and similar viral loads as WT mice. Both 12/11-19 and 12/12-6 similarly induced IL-13-producing ILC2 via a TSLP-dependent mechanism. Conclusion These data demonstrate that multiple pathogenic strains of RSV induce IL-13-producing ILC2 proliferation and activation via a TSLP-dependent mechanism in a murine model and suggest the potential therapeutic targeting of TSLP during severe RSV infection.

ILC2s are potent mucosal effector cells that participate in type 2 inflammatory responses. Stier et al. demonstrate that IL-33 negatively regulates CXCR4, mediating the egress of ILC2 lineage cells from the bone marrow for potential hematogenous trafficking.

Signaling through the PGI2 receptor (IP) has been shown to inhibit inflammatory responses in mouse models of respiratory syncytial viral infection and OVA-induced allergic responses. However, little is known about the cell types that mediate the anti-inflammatory function of PGI2. In this study, we determined that PGI2 analogs modulate dendritic cell (DC) cytokine production, maturation, and function. We report that PGI2 analogs (iloprost, cicaprost, treprostinil) differentially modulate the response of murine bone marrow-derived DC (BMDC) to LPS in an IP-dependent manner. The PGI2 analogs decreased BMDC production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-12, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-6) and chemokines (MIP-1α, MCP-1) and increased the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 by BMDCs. The modulatory effect was associated with IP-dependent up-regulation of intracellular cAMP and down-regulation of NF-κB activity. Iloprost and cicaprost also suppressed LPS-induced expression of CD86, CD40, and MHC class II molecules by BMDCs and inhibited the ability of BMDCs to stimulate Ag-specific CD4 T cell proliferation and production of IL-5 and IL-13. These findings suggest that PGI2 signaling through the IP may exert anti-inflammatory effects by acting on DC.

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IL-17A is produced from Th17 cells, and is involved in many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The IL-13 receptor (IL-13R) has not previously been reported to be functionally expressed on T cells; however, we found that purified BALB/c CD4+ cells polarized to Th17 with TGF-β, IL-6, and IL-23 have increased mRNA and protein expression of IL-13Rα1 and mRNA expression of IL-4Rα compared to Th0, Th1, or Th2 polarized cells. The addition of IL-13 at Th17 polarization negatively regulated IL-17A and IL-21 expression, and reduced the number of CD4+ T cells producing IL-17A. Further, adding IL-13 at the time of Th17 cell restimulation attenuated IL-17A expression. CD4+ Th17 polarized cells from IL-4 KO mice also had IL-13-induced inhibition of IL-17A production, but this was not observed in IL-4R KO and STAT6 KO mice. Addition of IL-13 at polarization increased IL-13R expression in WT Th17 cells. Further, IL-13 administration during Th17 polarization downregulated ROR-γT, the transcription required for Th17 development; increased STAT6 phosphorylation, and upregulated GATA3, the transcription factor activated during the development of Th2 cells. This IL-13-mediated effect was specific to Th17 cells as IL-13 neither decreased IFN-γ expression by Th1 cells nor affected Th2 cell production of IL-4. Collectively, we have shown that Th17 cells express a functional IL-13R and that IL-13 negatively regulates IL-17A and IL-21 production by decreasing ROR-γT expression and while increasing phosphorylation of STAT6 and GATA3 expression. Therefore, therapeutic intervention inhibiting IL-13 production could have adverse consequences by upregulating Th17 inflammation in certain disease states.