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Phenotype and severity of asthma determines bronchial epithelial immune responses to a viral mimic

Porsbjerg, Celeste ; Nieto-Fontarigo, Juan Jose LU ; Cerps, Samuel LU ; Ramu, Sangheeta LU ; Menzel, Mandy LU ; Hvidtfeldt, Morten ; Silberbrandt, Alexander ; Frøssing, Laurits ; Klein, Ditte and Sverrild, Asger , et al. (2022) In The European respiratory journal 60(1).
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Asthma is characterised by an aggravated immune response to respiratory viral infections. This phenomenon is a clinically well-recognised driver of acute exacerbations, but how different phenotypes of asthma respond immunologically to viruses is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To describe the association between different phenotypes and severity of asthma and bronchial epithelial immune responses to viral stimulation. METHODS: In the Immunoreact study, healthy subjects (n=10) and 50 patients with asthma were included; 30 (60%) were atopic, and 34 (68%) were eosinophilic; 14 (28%) had severe asthma. All participants underwent bronchoscopy with collection of bronchial brushings. Bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) were expanded and... (More)

BACKGROUND: Asthma is characterised by an aggravated immune response to respiratory viral infections. This phenomenon is a clinically well-recognised driver of acute exacerbations, but how different phenotypes of asthma respond immunologically to viruses is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To describe the association between different phenotypes and severity of asthma and bronchial epithelial immune responses to viral stimulation. METHODS: In the Immunoreact study, healthy subjects (n=10) and 50 patients with asthma were included; 30 (60%) were atopic, and 34 (68%) were eosinophilic; 14 (28%) had severe asthma. All participants underwent bronchoscopy with collection of bronchial brushings. Bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) were expanded and stimulated with the viral replication mimic poly (I:C) (Toll-like receptor (TLR)3 agonist) in vitro. The expression of TLR3-induced pro-inflammatory and antiviral responses of BECs were analysed using reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR and multiplex ELISA and compared across asthma phenotypes and severity of disease. RESULTS: Patients with atopic asthma had increased induction of interleukin (IL)-4, interferon (IFN)-β, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-α, and IL-1β after poly (I:C) stimulation compared to non-atopic patients, whereas in patients with eosinophilic asthma only IL-6 and IL-8 induction was higher than in non-eosinophilic asthma. Patients with severe asthma displayed a decreased antiviral IFN-β, and increased expression of IL-8, most pronounced in atopic and eosinophilic asthmatics. Furthermore, induction of IL-33 in response to poly (I:C) was increased in severe atopic and in severe eosinophilic asthma, but thymic stromal lymphopoietin only in severe eosinophilic asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The bronchial epithelial immune response to a viral mimic stimulation differs between asthma phenotypes and severities, which may be important to consider when targeting novel asthma treatments.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
The European respiratory journal
volume
60
issue
1
publisher
European Respiratory Society
external identifiers
  • pmid:34916261
  • scopus:85135375914
ISSN
1399-3003
DOI
10.1183/13993003.02333-2021
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d6b2a6bd-e9e8-4a7f-b5c8-1c1fb09257d1
date added to LUP
2022-10-28 14:14:56
date last changed
2024-09-06 04:36:11
@article{d6b2a6bd-e9e8-4a7f-b5c8-1c1fb09257d1,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Asthma is characterised by an aggravated immune response to respiratory viral infections. This phenomenon is a clinically well-recognised driver of acute exacerbations, but how different phenotypes of asthma respond immunologically to viruses is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To describe the association between different phenotypes and severity of asthma and bronchial epithelial immune responses to viral stimulation. METHODS: In the Immunoreact study, healthy subjects (n=10) and 50 patients with asthma were included; 30 (60%) were atopic, and 34 (68%) were eosinophilic; 14 (28%) had severe asthma. All participants underwent bronchoscopy with collection of bronchial brushings. Bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) were expanded and stimulated with the viral replication mimic poly (I:C) (Toll-like receptor (TLR)3 agonist) in vitro. The expression of TLR3-induced pro-inflammatory and antiviral responses of BECs were analysed using reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR and multiplex ELISA and compared across asthma phenotypes and severity of disease. RESULTS: Patients with atopic asthma had increased induction of interleukin (IL)-4, interferon (IFN)-β, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-α, and IL-1β after poly (I:C) stimulation compared to non-atopic patients, whereas in patients with eosinophilic asthma only IL-6 and IL-8 induction was higher than in non-eosinophilic asthma. Patients with severe asthma displayed a decreased antiviral IFN-β, and increased expression of IL-8, most pronounced in atopic and eosinophilic asthmatics. Furthermore, induction of IL-33 in response to poly (I:C) was increased in severe atopic and in severe eosinophilic asthma, but thymic stromal lymphopoietin only in severe eosinophilic asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The bronchial epithelial immune response to a viral mimic stimulation differs between asthma phenotypes and severities, which may be important to consider when targeting novel asthma treatments.</p>}},
  author       = {{Porsbjerg, Celeste and Nieto-Fontarigo, Juan Jose and Cerps, Samuel and Ramu, Sangheeta and Menzel, Mandy and Hvidtfeldt, Morten and Silberbrandt, Alexander and Frøssing, Laurits and Klein, Ditte and Sverrild, Asger and Uller, Lena}},
  issn         = {{1399-3003}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{European Respiratory Society}},
  series       = {{The European respiratory journal}},
  title        = {{Phenotype and severity of asthma determines bronchial epithelial immune responses to a viral mimic}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1183/13993003.02333-2021}},
  doi          = {{10.1183/13993003.02333-2021}},
  volume       = {{60}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}