Interleukin-17A and Neutrophils in a Murine Model of Bird-Related Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

PLoS One. 2015 Sep 14;10(9):e0137978. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137978. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immune mediated lung disease induced by the repeated inhalation of a wide variety of antigens. Bird-related hypersensitivity pneumonitis (BRHP) is one of the most common forms of HP in human and results from the inhalation of avian antigens. The findings of a recent clinical analysis suggest that in addition to Th1 factors, the levels of interleukin(IL)-17 and IL-17-associated transcripts are increased in the setting of HP, and that both IL-17A and neutrophils are crucial for the development of pulmonary inflammation in murine models of HP. Our objectives were to investigate the roles of IL-17A and neutrophils in granuloma-forming inflammation in an acute HP model. We developed a mouse model of acute BRHP using pigeon dropping extract. We evaluated the process of granuloma formation and the roles of both IL-17A and neutrophils in a model. We found that the neutralization of IL-17A by the antibody attenuated granuloma formation and the recruitment of neutrophils, and also decreased the expression level of chemokine(C-X-C motif) ligand 5 (CXCL5) in the acute HP model. We confirmed that most of the neutrophils in the acute HP model exhibited immunoreactivity to the anti-IL-17 antibody. We have identified the central roles of both IL-17A and neutrophils in the pathogenesis of granuloma formation in acute HP. We have also assumed that neutrophils are an important source of IL-17A in an acute HP model, and that the IL-17A-CXCL5 pathway may be responsible for the recruitment of neutrophils.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bird Fancier's Lung / genetics
  • Bird Fancier's Lung / immunology*
  • Bird Fancier's Lung / pathology
  • Chemokine CXCL5 / genetics
  • Chemokine CXCL5 / immunology
  • Columbidae*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Granuloma, Respiratory Tract / genetics
  • Granuloma, Respiratory Tract / immunology*
  • Granuloma, Respiratory Tract / pathology
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-17 / genetics
  • Interleukin-17 / immunology*
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lung / pathology
  • Mice
  • Neutrophil Infiltration*
  • Neutrophils / immunology*
  • Neutrophils / pathology

Substances

  • Chemokine CXCL5
  • Cxcl5 protein, mouse
  • Il17a protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-17

Grants and funding

This project was supported by a grant to the Diffuse Lung Diseases Research Group from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan (N.I.). This research is partially supported by the Practical Research Project for Rare Intractable Diseases from Japan Agency for Medical Research and development, AMED. This study is partially supported by a grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan awarded to the Study Group on Diffuse Pulmonary Disorders, Scientific Research/Research on intractable diseases.