1. Early-life infection of the airways with Streptococcus pneumoniae exacerbates HDM-induced asthma in a murine model.
- Author
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Peng, Dan, Shi, Yifan, Pang, Jie, Cui, Lele, Xu, Yingjie, Meng, Hao, Wang, Dan, Li, Yan, Cui, Ye, Chen, Yan, Yuan, Huihui, Qin, Xiaofeng, Lv, Zhe, Zhu, Junping, Corrigan, Chris J, Wang, Wei, and Ying, Sun
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STREPTOCOCCUS pneumoniae , *RESPIRATORY infections , *HOUSE dust mites , *TH2 cells , *ALLERGIC conjunctivitis , *WHEEZE - Abstract
• Early-life airways infection with Streptococcus pneumonia aggravated airways hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and airway remodelling in the HDM-induced allergic asthma model. • This infection promoted expression of IL-25, IL-33, TSLP and expansion of Th2 and ILC2 cells in the lungs of HDM -induced allergic asthma model. • Our data suggest that early-life Streptococcus pneumonia airways infection may not only increase the risk of development of allergic asthma following HDM sensitisation later in life, but also increase the severity of the disease. Respiratory tract infection early in life plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of asthma. In the present study we examine, using a murine surrogate, the effects of early life respiratory infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) on adult asthma induced by sensitisation and exposure to house dust mite (HDM) allergen. Mice (one week old) were infected with SP, then 3 weeks later sensitised to HDM emulsified with Al (OH)3 intraperitoneally and challenged intranasally with same allergen for up to a further 5 weeks to establish the asthma surrogate. Outcome measures were quantified using the FlexiVent apparatus, histology and immunohistology, ELISA and flow cytometry. The murine surrogates of asthma infected with SP early in life exhibited significantly more severe disease compared with the controls of mice without SP infection, as shown by airways responsiveness, inflammatory cellular infiltration of the airways, expression of markers of airways remodelling, serum concentrations of HDM-specific IgE and the concentrations of Th2-type cytokines and the numbers of activated Th2 and ILC2 cells in the lung tissues. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that early-life infection of the airways with SP exacerbates, at least in some individuals, subsequent HDM-induced allergic airways inflammation and associated asthma in adulthood in this murine surrogate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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