Hartwig. Eotaxin ELISA - Endogenous IL-18, asthma. Cytokine. 2008英文文献资料.pdf

/locate/issn Cytokine 42 (2008) 298–305 Endogenous IL-18 in experimentally induced asthma affects cytokine serum levels but is irrelevant for clinical symptoms Christina Hartwig a, Thomas Tschernig a, Miriam Mazzega a, Armin Braun b, Detlef Neumann c,* a Functional and Applied Anatomy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany b Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Department of Immunology, Allergology and Clinical Inhalation, Hannover, Germany c Institute for Pharmacology OE 5320, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany Received 28 March 2007; received in revised form 20 February 2008; accepted 22 February 2008 Abstract T cells and T cell derived cytokines are involved in the complex pathogenesis of asthma. The role of the cytokine IL-18 however, is not clearly defined so far. On the one hand side IL-18 induces Th1-type cytokines and thereby might counter-regulate Th2-mediated allergic asthma. On the other hand IL-18 also bears pro-inflammatory effects possibly enhancing experimental asthma. In order to elucidate the role of IL-18 in allergic pulmonary inflammation typical symptoms were compared after induction of experimental asthma in IL-18/ and in wild type mice. Asthma was induced using ovalbumin (OVA) as allergen for sensitization and challenge. Sham sensitized and OVA challenged mice served as controls. Bronchoalveolar lavage-fluid cytology, leukocyte infiltration in lung tissues, serum levels of OVA-specific IgE and cytokines, and lung function were analyzed. Clear differences could be observed between control and asthmatic mice, both