IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-25 are ligands for IL-17RA. In the present study, we demonstrated that IL-25-deficient mice, but not IL-17A-, IL-17F-, IL-17A/F-, IL-23p19- and ROR-γt-deficient mice, showed significant suppression of the number of eosinophils and the levels of proinflammatory mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, or ovalbumin-specific IgG1 and IgE levels in the serum during ovalbumin-induced Th2-type/eosinophilic airway inflammation, without any effect on lung DC migration or antigen-specific memory-Th2-cell expansion during antigen sensitization. By adoptive transfer of either T cells, mast cells or bone marrow cells from IL-25-deficient mice, we found that IL-25 produced by airway structural cells such as epithelial cells—but not by such hematopoietic stem-cell-origin immune cells as T cells and mast cells—was indispensable for induction of Th2-type/eosinophilic airway inflammation by activating lung epithelial cells and eosinophils. Therefore, airway structural-cell-derived IL-25—rather than Th17-cell-derived IL-17A and IL-17F—is responsible for induction of local inflammation by promoting activation of lung epithelial cells and eosinophils in the elicitation phase—but is not required for antigen-specific Th2 cell differentiation in the sensitization phase—of Th2-type/eosinophilic airway inflammation.

Both interleukin (IL)-33 and IL-25 induce Th2 cytokine production by various cell types, suggesting that they contribute to development of allergic disorders. However, the precise roles of IL-33 and IL-25 in house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic rhinitis (AR) remain unclear. Both IL-33 and IL-25 were produced mainly by nasal epithelial cells during HDM-induced AR. Eosinophil and goblet cell counts in the nose and IL-5 levels in lymph node cell culture supernatants were significantly decreased in IL-33-deficient, but not IL-25-deficient, mice compared with wild-type mice during HDM-induced AR, but the serum IgE and IgG1 levels did not differ. On the other hand, HDM-induced AR developed similarly in wild-type mice transferred with either IL-33-deficient BM cells or wild-type BM cells. IL-33, but not IL-25, produced by nasal epithelial cells was crucial for the development of murine HDM-induced AR. These observations suggest that IL-33 neutralization may be a potential approach for treatment of HDM-induced AR in humans.

1) The nerve of origin of tumors cannot be predicted based on caloric response and VEMP. 2) In the intermediate and medial types, caloric response and the VEMP amplitude are significantly diminished in association with an increase in tumor size. 3) Prolonged VEMP latencies seem to be not only caused by tumor compression to the brainstem or vestibular spinal tract but also by tumor compression isolated to the inferior vestibular nerve.

Certain proteases derived from house dust mites and plants are considered to trigger initiation of allergic airway inflammation by disrupting tight junctions between epithelial cells. It is known that inhalation of proteases such as house dust mite-derived Der p1 and/or papaya-derived papain caused airway eosinophilia in naïve mice and even in Rag-deficient mice that lack acquired immune cells such as T, B and NKT cells. In contrast, little is known regarding the possible involvement of proteases derived from Aspergillus species (fungal-associated proteases; FAP), which are ubiquitous saprophytic fungi in the environment, in the development of allergic airway eosinophilia. Here, we found that inhalation of FAP by naïve mice led to airway eosinophilia that was dependent on protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2), but not TLR2 and TLR4. Those findings suggest that the protease activity of FAP, but not endotoxins in FAP, are important in the setting. In addition, development of that eosinophilia was mediated by innate immune cells (ILCs) such as innate lymphoid cells, but not by acquired immune cells such as T, B and NKT cells. Whereas IL-33, IL-25 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) are involved in induction of FAP-induced ILC-mediated airway eosinophilia, IL-33—rather than IL-25 and/or TSLP—was critical for the eosinophilia in our model. Our findings improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in induction of airway inflammation by FAP.