Atopic asthma is an inflammatory pulmonary disease associated with Th2 adaptive immune responses triggered by innocuous antigens. While dendritic cells (DCs) are known to shape the adaptive immune response, the mechanisms by which DCs promote Th2 differentiation remain elusive. Herein we demonstrate that Th2-promoting stimuli induce DC expression of IRF4. Mice with conditional deletion of Irf4 in DCs show a dramatic defect in Th2-type lung inflammation, yet retain the ability to elicit pulmonary Th1 anti-viral responses. Using loss- and gain-of-function analysis, we demonstrate that Th2 differentiation is dependent on IRF4 expression in DCs. Finally, IRF4 directly targets and activates the Il10 and Il33 genes in DCs. Reconstitution with exogenous IL-10 and IL-33 recovers the ability of Irf4 deficient DCs to promote Th2 differentiation. These findings reveal a regulatory module in DCs by which IRF4 modulates IL-10 and IL-33 cytokine production to specifically promote Th2 differentiation and inflammation.

γδ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) are located beneath or between adjacent intestinal epithelial cells and are thought to contribute to homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. Using in vivo microscopy to image jejunal mucosa of GFP γδ T-cell transgenic mice, we discovered that γδ IELs migrate actively within the intraepithelial compartment and into the lamina propria. As a result, each γδ IEL contacts multiple epithelial cells. Occludin is concentrated at sites of γδ IEL/epithelial interaction, where it forms a ring surrounding the γδ IEL. In vitro analyses showed that occludin is expressed by epithelial and γδ T cells and that occludin derived from both cell types contributes to these rings and to γδ IEL migration within epithelial monolayers. In vivo TNF administration, which results in epithelial occludin endocytosis, reduces γδ IEL migration. Further in vivo analyses demonstrated that occludin KO γδ T cells are defective in both initial accumulation and migration within the intraepithelial compartment. These data challenge the paradigm that γδ IELs are stationary in the intestinal epithelium and demonstrate that γδ IELs migrate dynamically to make extensive contacts with epithelial cells. The identification of occludin as an essential factor in γδ IEL migration provides insight into the molecular regulation of γδ IEL/epithelial interactions.intestine | tight junction T he intestine is one of the few peripheral tissues to contain a large population of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), with one IEL for every 5-10 epithelial cells. Although the majority of these IELs express the γδ T cell receptor, and epidermal γδ IELs have been studied extensively (1-4), the functions of intestinal γδ IELs remain poorly understood. Some studies have shown that γδ IELs contribute to progression of immune-mediated colitis (5-7); other data suggest that γδ IELs contribute to mucosal homeostasis (8, 9) by secreting keratinocyte growth factor (10, 11) and antimicrobial peptides (12, 13), suppressing CD4 + T-cell expansion through TGF-β and IL-10 production (8, 9) and promoting barrier maintenance via poorly understood mechanisms (13-15). These observations and the small number of IELs relative to intestinal epithelial cells are difficult to reconcile with the widely held belief that γδ IELs have limited motility (1, 16).Further understanding of γδ IEL function will require definition of the molecular structures that regulate interactions between intestinal epithelial and γδ T cells. On the basis of the location of epithelial/γδ IEL contact sites along epithelial lateral membranes, it is likely that epithelial proteins targeted to these domains, including apical junction complex components, are involved in these interactions. Attractive candidates include E-cadherin, which can bind CD103 (α E β 7 integrin) expressed by IELs (17), as well as tight junction proteins. For example, γδ IELs express several epithelial tight junction proteins, including occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) (18), that may bind directly or indirectly t...

Atopic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs generally marked by excessive Th2 inflammation. The role of allergen-specific IgG in asthma is still controversial; however, a receptor of IgG-immune complexes (IgG-ICs), FcγRIII, has been shown to promote Th2 responses through an unknown mechanism. Herein, we demonstrate that allergen-specific IgG-ICs, formed upon reexposure to allergen, promoted Th2 responses in two different models of IC-mediated inflammation that were independent of a preformed T cell memory response. Development of Th2-type airway inflammation was shown to be both FcγRIII and TLR4 dependent, and T cells were necessary and sufficient for this process to occur, even in the absence of type 2 innate lymphoid cells. We sought to identify downstream targets of FcγRIII signaling that could contribute to this process and demonstrated that bone marrow-derived DCs, alveolar macrophages, and respiratory DCs significantly upregulated IL-33 when activated through FcγRIII and TLR4. Importantly, IC-induced Th2 inflammation was dependent on the ST2/IL-33 pathway. Our results suggest that allergen-specific IgG can enhance secondary responses by ligating FcγRIII on antigen-presenting cells to augment development of Th2-mediated responses in the lungs via an IL-33-dependent mechanism.

Persistent airway inflammation, mucus production, and airway hyperreactivity are the major contributors to the frequency and severity of asthma. Why lung inflammation persists in asthmatics remains unclear. It has been proposed that Fas-mediated apoptosis of inflammatory cells is a fundamental mechanism involved in the resolution of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Because infiltrating eosinophils are highly sensitive to Fas-mediated apoptosis, it has been presumed that direct ligation of Fas on eosinophils is involved. Here, we utilize adoptive transfers of T cells to demonstrate that the delayed resolution of eosinophilia in Fas-deficient mice is a downstream effect of Fas deficiency on T cells, not eosinophils. Interestingly, the mice that received Fas-deficient T cells, but not the controls, developed a persistent phase of inflammation that failed to resolve even 6 wk after the last challenge. This persistent phase correlated with decreased interferon (IFN)γ production by Fas-deficient T cells and could be reproduced with adoptive transfer of IFNγ-deficient T cells. These data demonstrate that Fas deficiency on T cells is sufficient for the development of long-term allergic airway disease in mice and implies that deregulation of death receptors such as Fas on human T cells could be an important factor in the development and/or chronic nature of asthma.

Although inhibitory Fcγ receptors have been demonstrated to promote mucosal tolerance, the role of activating Fcγ receptors in modulating T helper type (Th)2-dependent inflammatory responses characteristic of asthma and allergies remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that signaling via activating Fcγ receptors in conjunction with Toll-like receptor 4 stimulation modulated cytokine production from bone marrow–derived dendritic cells (DCs) and augmented their ability to promote Th2 responses. Ligation of the low affinity receptor FcγRIII was specifically required for the enhanced Th2 responses, as FcγRIII−/− DCs failed to augment Th2-mediated airway inflammation in vivo or induce Th2 differentiation in vitro. Further, FcγRIII−/− mice had impaired Th2 cytokine production and exhibited reduced airway inflammation, whereas no defect was found in FcγRI−/− mice. The augmentation of Th2 immunity was regulated by interleukin 10 production from the DCs but was distinct and independent of the well-established role of FcγRIII in augmenting antigen presentation. Thus, our studies reveal a novel and specific role for FcγRIII signaling in the regulation of Th cell responses and suggest that in addition to immunoglobulin (Ig)E, antigen-specific IgG also contributes to the pathogenesis of Th2-mediated diseases such as asthma and allergies.