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Regular Articles |




From the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory
Medicine,
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann
Arbor; and the Department of Pathology,*
University of
Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| Abstract |
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|
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-interferon-inducible protein (IP-10),
monokine induced by INF-
(MIG), macrophage inflammatory
protein-2 (MIP-2), lipopolysaccharide-induced chemokine
(LIX), rodent growth-related oncogene homologue (KP),
macrophage inflammatory protein-1
(MIP-1
) and -1ß
(MIP-1ß), lymphotactin), b) type-2-dominant
(eotaxin, monocyte chemotactic protein-2 (MCP-2) and -3
(MCP-3), liver and activation-regulated chemokine
(LARC), T cell activation protein-3 (TCA-3), c) type-1
and type-2 co-dominant (MCP-1, MCP-5,
monocyte-derived chemokine (MDC), thymus and
activation-related chemokine (TARC), C10), and d)
constitutive (lungkine, secondary lymphoid-tissue chemokine
(SLC), EBI1-ligand chemokine (ELC),
fractalkine, macrophage inflammatory protein-1
(MIP1-
), and stromal cell derived factor-1
(SDF1-
). 2)
CKs displayed characteristic temporal patterns. CXC (IP-10,
MIG, MIP-2, LIX, KC) and certain CC
(MCP-1, MCP-5, MIP-1
, MIP-1ß) CKs were
produced maximally within 1 to 2 days. Others (MCP-2,
MCP-3, eotaxin, lymphotactin, LARC,
TCA-3) displayed peak expression later. 3) Interferon-
neutralization profoundly abrogated MIG, but had little effect
on other CKs. Tumor necrosis factor-
neutralization caused up to
50% reduction in a range of CKs. These findings indicate that type-1
and type-2 granulomas display characteristic CK profiles with
coordinated expression that is under cytokine-mediated
regulation.
| Introduction |
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Granulomas represent a sequestration response elicited by a remarkably diverse group of agents. They are formed by an influx of inflammatory leukocytes that aggregate often in association with a poorly digestible nidus and include mononuclear phagocytes as a defining component. In immunologically active granulomas, additional cells, such as lymphocytes and in some instances plasma cells, myofibroblasts, B cells, and eosinophils may also be recruited. Granuloma macrophages and lymphocytes are heterogeneous and change constantly throughout time with each producing a myriad of secretory products.2,3 CKs are beginning to be recognized as one important group of mediators of granuloma formation.4
The present study monitored the expression of 24 CKs throughout an
8-day study period in lungs with granulomas induced by agarose
bead-immobilized Mycobacteria bovis purified protein
derivative (PPD) or Schistosoma mansoni egg antigens
(SEA).5
Granulomas induced by PPD-coated beads are
driven primarily by the Th1 (type-1)-associated cytokines interferon
(IFN)-
and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-
, whereas those induced by
SEA-coated beads are mediated by the Th2 (type-2)-associated cytokines,
IL-4 and IL-13.6
Transcript analysis of 24 CKs in these
models indicated that 18 were induced and expression showed close
association with granuloma development. Moreover, among these, 13
showed type-specific and temporal differences in their expression
patterns. In addition, the role of cytokine-mediated regulation was
tested by intraperitoneal injection of antibodies against IFN-
or
TNF-
. MIG expression was dramatically reduced by the
neutralization of IFN-
, whereas other CKs showed no
significant changes. In contrast, TNF-
neutralization reduced a
broad range of CKs. This study emphasizes the importance of a
comprehensive approach to CK analysis and indicates that CK profiling
may be a feasible approach to define inflammatory responses for CK
targeted therapies.
| Materials and Methods |
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Female CBA/J mice were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME). All mice were maintained under specific pathogen-free conditions and used at 7 to 8 weeks of age.
Sensitization and Granuloma Induction
Types 1 and 2, secondary Ag-bead granulomas were generated as previously described.5 Briefly, mice were sensitized by a subcutaneous injection of 20 µg of Mycobacteria bovis purified protein derivative (PPD) (Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Division, Ames, IA) incorporated into 0.25 ml of complete Freunds adjuvant (CFA) (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) or 3,000 Schistosoma mansoni eggs suspended in 0.5 ml of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Fourteen to 16 days later, PPD- and schistosome egg-sensitized mice were respectively challenged by tail vein injections with 6,000 Sepharose 4B beads (in 0.5 ml of PBS) covalently coupled to PPD or to soluble schistosome egg antigens (SEA) obtained from the World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland).
Granuloma Dispersal and Morphometric Analysis
Groups of mice were killed at 1, 2, 4, and 8 days of granuloma formation. After perfusion with cold RPMI, lungs excluding trachea and major bronchi were excised. The right upper lung of each mouse was used for mRNA isolation. The left lower lobe was postinflated and formalin-fixed for granuloma size determination. The remaining lung was placed in cold RPMI medium then granulomas were isolated and dispersed as previously described.6 For differential counting, duplicate cytospin preparations were prepared from the remaining dispersed granuloma cells and stained with Wrights stain.
Granulomas were measured blindly from formalin-inflated lungs that were paraffin-embedded, sectioned, then stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Granuloma area was measured by computerized morphometry. Only granulomas sectioned through the central bead nidus were measured. A minimum of 20 lesions was measured per lung. The total number of cells in a granuloma cross-section was determined morphometrically by directly counting cell number in an area of 2.5 x 103 µm2. This was determined to be 32 ± 7 with each cell occupying an average of 80 ± 18 µm2. The proportion of cell types was calculated by multiplying the total cell number by the percentages obtained by direct differential analysis of dispersed granulomas.
In Vivo Cytokine Depletion
At the time of bead challenge, mice were given an intraperitoneal
injection of 5 mg of rabbit IgG with specificity for murine IFN-
or
TNF-
prepared by protein A column purification. Nonimmune rabbit IgG
served as a control. The specificity and potency of these preparations
was previously reported.5
Two days after challenge, lungs
were excised for mRNA measurement and morphometric analysis.
Preparation of mRNA and Protein Extracts from Lungs
Mice were anesthetized and bled before sacrifice for lung harvest, which was done at 1, 2, 4, and 8 days after the bead embolization. Unchallenged mice at 14 days after sensitization served as time 0 controls, whereas lungs of normal mice provided baseline determinations. After perfusion with cold RPMI, lungs, excluding the trachea and major bronchi, were excised. The left lower lung lobe of each mouse was postinflated and formalin-fixed. The right lobe was snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for mRNA isolation, and the remaining lobes were uses for protein extraction. mRNA was isolated from the frozen tissues using Poly(A)Pure mRNA isolation kits (Ambion, Austin, TX). For protein extraction, frozen lungs were placed into Dulbeccos modified Eagles medium and were ground using a homogenizer. Samples were centrifuged and supernatant fluids collected.
Chemokine Primers and Probes
Primers and probes were designed with primer design software
(Primer Premier; Biosoft International, Palo Alto, CA) using murine
sequences obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology
Information (NCBI) GenBank. Table 1
shows
the sequences and NCBI reference numbers. Oligonucleotides were
obtained from Operon Technologies, Inc., Alameda, CA.
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Reverse Transcription of the mRNA Samples
Approximately, 1 µg of mRNA was reverse-transcribed in a 20-µl reaction in a PCR reaction tube using Reverse Transcription System kits (Promega, Madison, WI). Five to 10 reactions were conducted on the same mRNA preparation in parallel to minimize variability. The cDNA product from each tube was pooled for analysis.
Equalization of the cDNA Concentrations
The concentration of each cDNA sample was adjusted so that the
signal obtained with the housekeeping gene, cyclophilin, when amplified
by a 22-cycle PCR reaction and detected by a PCR-ELISA, would give an
absorbance value at
0.5.
Optimization of PCR Cycle Number for each Chemokine Primer and Probe Set
After adjusting the cDNA concentration, a sample of cDNA from normal lungs was amplified by a PCR reaction using primer pairs specific for a given CK. A series of PCR reactions was performed at different cycle numbers, then the PCR products were detected by using PCR-ELISA detection kits (Roche Molecular Biochemicals, Mannheim, Germany). The cycle number giving an absorbance value nearest 0.2 was used for that particular CK primer-probe set. This was done for each of the CKs examined.
PCR-ELISA Detection of Chemokine mRNA
Each CK cDNA was amplified in a 40-µl PCR reaction, then 20 µl of the product was assayed using a biotinylated probe and PCR-ELISA (DIG Detection) kits (Roche Molecular Biochemicals). In each PCR-ELISA detection assay, PCR products were detected in duplicates. Water was used as negative control. Cyclophilin mRNA of each sample, amplified in a separate tube, was included for normalization and confirmation of cDNA equivalency. To validate the calibration curve (see below) for a particular assay, a selected preparation was assayed at both 10- and 40-µl volume, which should result in a one to four relationship in relative concentration. The basis for the quantification of mRNA expression is that the absorbance [optical density (OD450)] reading increases directly with the copy number of the CK mRNA being measured at the optimal PCR cycle number. However, the relationship between the OD reading and the copy number may not be linear at high OD450 readings. The system was therefore calibrated to correct for possible nonlinear relationships because of high copy number expression. Standard curves were generated using serially diluted cDNA samples from normal lung amplified with cyclophilin primers. The resulting curve was best fitted to obtain the following correction formulas: 1) for OD450 > 1.0: log (dilution factor) = log (OD450 /0.2)/0.7 and 2) for OD450 <1.0: log (dilution factor) = (0.9/OD450(OD450 - 0.1). The formulas give the relationship between the OD450 reading and the relative concentration (dilution factor) of the mRNA. Using the formulas, the relative concentration of a CK mRNA in a sample was calculated from its OD450 reading measured from a PCR-ELISA assay.
Data Presentation
Samples of cDNA were usually run in groups of 10 or more representing a complete time course and controls. Because the results represent relative measures, they are expressed as arbitrary units defined as follows: specifically, the highest calculated mRNA expression of a particular target gene among a full set of samples was set at 100 units with levels of others adjusted against it accordingly. This approach did not affect the relationship between samples and allowed for good interexperimental reproducibility.
Chemokine Protein Measurement
Snap-frozen lung lobes were suspended in 2 ml of PBS and
homogenized for 20 seconds using a Tissue Tearor (Biospec Products,
Inc., Bartlesville, OK). Next, 0.1 ml of fetal bovine serum was added
as a protein stabilizer. The homogenate was centrifuged at 3,000
x g for 20 minutes and then the supernate was collected,
aliquoted, and frozen at -80°C before cytokine assay. CK protein
(MIG, IP-10, KC, MIP-1
, MIP-1ß, MCP-1, MDC, eotaxin, and C10) was
measured in the whole lung aqueous extracts by specific ELISA using
commercial reagents (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, and Pharmingen, La
Jolla, CA). Next, total lung protein concentration was determined in
experimental and control samples, then CK levels were normalized to mg
lung protein after subtraction of the fetal bovine serum protein
component.
Statistics
The paired Students t-test was used to compare paired groups. Values of P > 0.05 were considered to indicate lack of significance.
| Results |
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The kinetics of type-1 (PPD) and type-2 (SEA) bead granuloma
formation are shown in Figure 1
along
with leukocyte differential analyses indicating the numbers of each
major cell type present in an average granuloma cross-section. It can
be seen that the period of rapid cellular accumulation occurred between
0 and 4 days. Day 4 represented a time of lesion sustenance whereas day
8 marked the period of lesion involution. Although both type-1 and
type-2 lesions contained significant components of lymphocytes by day
2, the type-1 lesion was characterized by recruitment of greater
numbers of neutrophils in this period. Thereafter, on days 4 and 8, the
type-2 lesion was distinguished by a significant component of
eosinophils. In both types of lesions mononuclear phagocytes reached a
maximum on day 4. This analysis provided a base of histopathological
observations to which CK expression dynamics could be related.
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The expression profiles of 24 CK transcripts were determined for
type-1 and type-2 granulomas throughout an 8-day study period. Samples
from 5-day points for each of the two models were measured in a single
PCR-ELISA experiment and the relative abundance of each chemokine RNA
was compared between the samples. Three repetitions were performed for
each chemokine in three separate experiments, and only one experiment
is presented. As is required for all relative RNA quantification
methods, compared samples were measured together in each experiment.
Although results could not be pooled among experiments, the
relationships were consistent within the three studies. Of the 24, 18
CKs showed significant up-regulation (greater than twofold) during
granuloma development. These are presented in Figures 2 and 3
.
Figure 2
shows the profiles of three ELR+ CXC CKs (MIP-2, KC, and LIX),
two ELR- CXC CKs (IP-10 and MIG), and one known C class CK
(lymphotactin). The differences between the type-1 and type-2
granulomas were easily seen. Of these, all but KC showed a predominant
expression in the type-1 response. Moreover, in the complete Freunds
adjuvant-PPD sensitized mice, transcript levels for several of these
(KC, LIX, IP-10, and lymphotactin) were significantly elevated before
bead challenge (time 0) as compared to lungs of unsensitized,
unchallenged mice (dashed line). In addition, other than lymphotactin,
which reached maximum expression on day 4, the others displayed maximal
expression during the rapid recruitment stage, days 1 and 2.
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,
MIP-1ß, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3, MCP-5, TCA-3, eotaxin, LARC, TARC, C10,
and MDC. Among these, MIP-1
and MIP-1ß appeared to be more
strongly expressed in the type-1 lesions especially on day 2. In
contrast, MCP-2, MCP-3, TCA-3, eotaxin, and LARC tended to greater
expression or were sustained longer in the type-2 response, especially
during the later stages of granuloma formation, days 4 and 8. It was
also noted that baseline levels of eotaxin transcripts were increased
in lungs after sensitization (compare day 0 to dashed line). Others
such as MCP-1, MCP-5, MDC, and TARC were significantly induced in both
responses, but despite trends, definite patterns of dominance could not
be established. However, MCP-5 transcripts did show a unique pattern
appearing to dominate early in the type-2 but later in the type-1
response.
Among the 24 CK transcripts analyzed, six were found to be expressed
constitutively by lung tissue and showed no change, minimal induction,
or partial inhibition after sensitization and challenge. These included
ELC, fractal-kine, lungkine, SLC, SDF-1
, and MIP-1
(Figure 4)
. It is noteworthy that among these,
SDF-1
, ELC and SLC have been implicated in the physiological
recirculation of lymphocytes to lymphoid tissues.7-12
Because these CKs were not induced with inflammation, it suggested that
CKs are functionally segregated.
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, MCP-1, MCP-5, and LARC, with
fold increases greater than normal of 4.9, 2.7, 2.7, and 3.5,
respectively. Although modest compared to the Ag-elicited responses,
these inductions suggest participation of CKs in the foreign-body
response. Chemokine Protein Expression Profiles during Type-1 (PPD) and Type-2 (SEA) Pulmonary Granuloma Formation
Because relative CK transcript expression may not necessarily
reflect levels of translated protein, we assessed levels of CK in lungs
with type-1 and type-2 granulomas by specific protein ELISA. At
present, reagents are available to detect only a limited number of
murine CKs but where possible such assays were performed. Figure 5
shows levels of CKs detected in lung
aqueous extracts during the course of granuloma formation expressed as
pg per mg lung protein. In general, CK protein and mRNA expression
profiles matched well. As with mRNA, the CXC CKs, IP-10 and MIG
dominated in the type-1 response during the early recruitment period.
Similarly, MIP-1
and to a lesser extent MIP-1ß tended to higher
levels in the type-1 response. Likewise reflecting transcript levels,
eotaxin dominated in the type-2 response after day 2. As in the
transcript analysis, MCP-1/JE and MDC did not display definite
polarization and both appeared early in granuloma formation. The KC
protein profile differed most from the transcript analysis by showing a
clear dominance in the type-1 response. Also, protein analysis showed
high levels of C10 that were expressed in ng/mg amounts, which tended
to be greater in the type-2 response mainly at the day 8 stage of
granuloma formation. This was not apparent from transcript levels. Such
discrepancies may be related to local tissue accumulation. Despite
this, the findings suggested that semiquantitative mRNA analysis was a
reasonably accurate reflection of local CK synthesis. Table 2
summarizes the expression profiles for
the 24 CKs analyzed during type-1 and type-2 lung granuloma formation
based on transcript and protein analyses.
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It is known that Th1-associated cytokines (IFN-
, TNF-
)
promote tissue responses induced by mycobacterial Ags, whereas the
Th2-associated cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) mediate those induced
by schistosomal egg Ags.5
Such cytokines may orchestrate
inflammatory responses by regulating local CK expression. We previously
provided evidence that Th2 cytokine-chemokine networks operate during
type-2 lung granuloma formation in vivo.13
In
the present study we examined the contribution of IFN-
in shaping CK
expression profiles. A time-course analysis of IFN-
and IL-5
production by isolated granulomas confirmed the primarily polarized
production of IFN-
by type-1 lesions and indicated that maximum
synthesis occurred on days 1 and 2 (Figure 6)
. This expression correlated well with
the observed increase in MIG and IP-10.
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antibodies just before type-1 or type-2 bead
granuloma induction then 2 days later lungs were harvested and CK mRNA
levels were measured. Five individual mice were used in this
experiment. Three of the mice were treated with neutralizing antibody,
and two others were treated with control IgG. Figure 7
neutralization profoundly abrogated MIG
expression, whereas IP-10 was essentially unchanged. As shown, a
similar effect could be demonstrated in the type-2 SEA model by
increasing PCR amplification cycle numbers to 30, which allowed
detection of the lower levels of these transcripts in this model.
Twelve other CKs were also examined after antibody treatment and no
significant effect of IFN-
neutralization could be demonstrated.
This data is summarized in Table 3
seemed to very specifically promote MIG mRNA expression.
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also contributes to type-1 PPD
granulomas,5
TNF-
neutralization was performed in
parallel with IFN-
depletion (Table 3)
reduced a broad range of CKs in the type-1 PPD model.
However, the reductions were only partial (50 to 20%) when
compared to the controls and fell in the following order MIG >
MIP-1
> KC = IP-10 = lymphotactin > MCP-1. As
with IFN-
neutralization certain CKs were unaffected by anti-TNF-
antibodies. Of those examined, these included LIX, MIP-2, LARC, and
MCP-5.
Anti-IFN-
and anti-TNF-
treatments were associated with
significant reductions in type-1 PPD granuloma size (Figure 8)
. Therefore, the CK-abrogating effects
may have been in part related to reduced granuloma cellularity.
Moreover, the different patterns of abrogation could be related to the
different cell populations affected, because as previously reported
anti-IFN-
primarily reduced lymphocytes whereas anti-TNF-
mainly
reduced large mononuclear cells.5
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| Discussion |
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Our study revealed that type-1 (PPD) and type-2 (SEA) bead granuloma
responses were associated with distinct CK profiles. Specifically, the
CKs fell into four categories: 1) type-1 dominant, 2) type-2 dominant,
3) types 1 and 2 co-dominant, and 4) constitutively expressed with no
further induction. These are summarized in Table 2
. The type-1-dominant
CKs included nearly all of the CXCR1/2, CXCR3, and XCR1 ligands
examined. In addition, the CCR1 and CCR5 ligands, MIP-1
and MIP-1ß
also dominated in the type-1 response. The ELR+, CXCR1/2 ligands are
well-described chemotactins for neutrophils and are known to be
associated with acute inflammation involving infectious
agents20,21
and tissue injury.22
Thus,
expression during the initial acute phase of granuloma formation might
be expected and indeed there was strong induction during the early
recruitment period of the type-1 lesion. Furthermore, there was a clear
circumstantial association with neutrophil mobilization. At present the
origin of the CXCR1/2 ligands during granuloma formation is unknown but
mesenchymal cells such as endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and
interstitial macrophages are potential sources.
Surprising was the relative paucity of CXCR1/2 ligands in the type-2 response, indicating that the two responses have clearly different initiation phases. Correspondingly, this difference fit well with the lesser degree of neutrophil recruitment in type-2 lesions. One ligand, KC/IL-8, gave some indication of induction by mRNA analysis in the type-2 response, but protein analysis indicated much less than in the type-1 response. This disparity may be related to the neutrophils themselves, which can serve as sources of KC/IL-8 protein23 and thereby amplify levels in the type-1 response. Another ELR+ ligand, MIP-2, also showed some induction by mRNA analysis in the type-2 response. It is functionally more potent than KC24 and may be responsible for the small component neutrophil observed in these lesions.
The CXCR3 ligands, IP-10 and MIG, showed the strongest polarization in
the type-1 and type 2 responses, with high levels in the former and low
levels in the latter by transcript and protein detection. MuMIG and
IP-10 are two murine CKs of the non-ELR CXC subfamily that are
inducible by the interferons, MuMIG specifically by IFN-
and IP-10
by IFNs
, ß, and
.25-27
The enhanced expression
of IP-10 and MIG in the type-1 response is in accord with the dominant
role of IFN-
in this response. IP-10 expression is induced by
IFN-
in endothelial cells, monocytes, fibroblasts,
keratinocytes,28,29
astrocytes,30
and
neutrophils.31
MIG is expressed by IFN-
-stimulated
mononuclear cells, endothelial cells, keratinocytes, and
fibroblasts.26,32
Both MIG and IP-10 are chemotactic for
NK cells and activated T lymphocytes in vitro, but not
resting T cells, B cells, or neutrophils.32-36
Moreover,
IP-10 or MIG expression has been detected in a number of disease
conditions with increased expression of IFN-
such as
psoriasis,18
tuberculoid leprosy,19
sarcoidosis,17
tuberculosis,16
viral
meningitis,37
leishmaniasis,14
toxoplasmosis,38
ulcerative colitis,15
and
nephritic nephrosis.39
Thus, IP-10 and MIG may provide
good markers for Th1 or other interferon-dominant responses as
suggested by Dixon and colleagues.40
In this vein, it
should be noted that CXCR3 ligands are in themselves potent
chemotactins for T lymphocytes, particularly of the Th1
subtype38,41,42
and in the present study we observed their
expression at the time of rapid lymphocyte recruitment, 1 to 2 days.
Two CC CKs, MIP-1
and MIP-1ß, were also more prominent in the
type-1 response and showed maximum expression on day 2 during the rapid
recruitment phase. These CKs are ligands for CCR1 and CCR5 and
interestingly have been reported to be associated with type-1 immune
responses43
and demonstrated to be selective attractants
for Th1 cells.44
Our findings lend further in
vivo support to the association of MIP-1
and MIP-1ß to Th1
responses, as well as show a temporal relationship to cell
mobilization.
A novel and unexpected finding was the expression pattern of the XCR
ligand, lymphotactin, which was more prominent in the type-1 response
and showed peak expression on day 4 when the lesions reach the
sustenance stage. Lymphotactin is presently the sole representative of
the XCR CK class and a well-described chemoattractant for both NK cells
and T lymphocytes.45-47
Enhanced lymphotactin gene
expression has been reported in an animal model of
glomerulonephritis48
and is produced by T
cells,49
NK cells,50
and mast
cells.51
Although lymphotactin exerts a co-stimulatory
activity on CD8+ T-cells, it was recently identified as an inhibitor of
CD4+ T-cell proliferation and Th1 responses,
causing decreased expression of IL-2, IL-2R
, and IFN-
but not
IL-4 and IL-13.52
This function may be relevant to our
observation that lymphotactin appears as the IFN-
dominant stage of
the Th1 granuloma wanes. Endogenous mediators regulating IFN-
production in the Th1 granuloma have not previously been identified.
Lymphotactin is a good candidate and its later expression suggests that
different CKs may usher in various stages of granuloma formation.
With regard to the type-2 response, the CC CKs, eotaxin, MCP-2, MCP-3,
TCA-3, and LARC tended to be more dominant than in the type-1 response,
but at the transcript level none were totally exclusive. An important
common feature of these CKs is that all showed maximum expression on
days 4 or 8, the time when the type-2 lesions become distinguished by
their prominent component of eosinophils. It is notable that eotaxin,
MCP-2, and MCP-3 are all ligands for CCR3,1
a receptor
that is strongly expressed by eosinophils53
and is
considered important to eosinophil recruitment.54-56
TCA-3 is a ligand for CCR8, which is also expressed by Th2 cells and
may aid in their recruitment. LARC mRNA expression maximized late on
day 8, when the granuloma is beginning to resolve. Many leukocytes such
as B cells, dendritic cells, CD4+ T cells, and
-
T cells57,58
express the LARC receptor, CCR6.
Moreover, there is circumstantial evidence suggesting a role for LARC
in inflammation,57,59
but our findings would indicate that
it is likely not involved in the active recruitment stage of granuloma
formation. Because the source and target of LARC in granulomatous lungs
is as yet unknown, it is difficult to speculate on its function. This
question is currently being approached using CCR6 knockout mice.
The third group of CKs (MCP-1, MCP-5, MDC, C10, and TARC) were induced
by the inflammatory insult but showed no clear patterns of dominance by
transcript analysis. Most were induced by days 1 or 2 then persisted or
partially declined by day 8. Protein analyses revealed some trends that
were not apparent by mRNA analysis. For example, by protein analysis,
both C10 and MDC tended to higher levels in the type-2 response.
Accordingly, these CKs are reportedly induced by Th2
cytokines,60,61
but their presence in the type-1 response
would suggest that other factors contribute to their production. The
CCR2 ligand, MCP-1/JE, was comparably expressed by protein analysis
with peak expression on days 1 and 2. This finding agrees well with our
previous demonstration that CCR2-deficient mice show defective
macrophage mobilization in both type-1 and type-2 responses precisely
at this time.62,63
The closely homologous MCP-5, another
CCR2 ligand, showed peak induction early in the type-2 and delayed
induction in the type-1 response. Presently, the significance of these
different patterns is unknown, but once reagents become available for
muMCP-5 ELISA it may be possible to offer better insights. Unlike
MCP-1, there was a sustained induction of TARC mRNA in both models. To
date, there is limited data regarding the role of TARC in inflammation.
It is a CCR4 ligand that attracts primed CD4+ T
cells,64
in particular IL-4-producing T
cells.65
Interestingly, TARC is up-regulated by both IL-4
and IFN-
in bronchial epithelial cells, and a maximum production
occurred with combination of TNF-
, IL-4, and IFN-
.66
Our findings now suggest a common role in granuloma formation. However,
further studies will be needed to determine the nature of that
participation.
A fourth group of CKs (lungkine, fractalkine, SLC, ELC, MIP-1
and
SDF-
) displayed no or minimal induction after bead challenge. Of
these, SLC and ELC are reportedly involved in cellular migration
patterns in lymphoid tissues7-12
and SDF-
in vascular
and cerebellar development and hematopoiesis.67-69
The
detected transcripts were possibly derived from endogenous
lung-associated lymphoid tissues. Lungkine and MIP-1
are known to be
constitutively expressed by lung tissue20,70
and their
detection was expected. However, our data indicates that no major
change is induced by bead granuloma induction. Fractalkine, a
mucin-tethered CK, was also unchanged. However, because this CK is
expressed by endothelial cells and can potentially act as an
adherence molecule,71
functional participation by
preformed molecules remains a possibility.
Another important aspect of our study was the finding of temporal patterns of induced CK expression. This was alluded to above but the point should be emphasized because it reveals that CKs are expressed in a coordinated manner. Serial CK induction has recently been described for two CKs in a mouse model of allergic airway disease.72 Our study demonstrates this principle in a more comprehensive manner. We showed that some CKs were clearly associated with the early rapid recruitment stage of inflammation whereas others appeared during the sustenance and resolution phases of the response. By relating the temporal expression to histopathological events, hypotheses regarding the source, function, and organization of the various CKs can be designed. For example, very early CKs (eg, MIP-2 and MCP-1) were likely derived from endogenous lung sources, whereas late-early and late CKs (eg, lymphotactin, MCP-3, and LARC) probably arose from recruited cells stimulated by signals provided by the microenvironment. Such a scenario would result in waves of different CKs produced at different stages produced by different cell populations that dictate various inflammatory events from recruitment to resolution.
We have previously demonstrated that CK expression during lung
granuloma formation is in part regulated by cytokine
stimuli.6,13
Those studies primarily examined the role of
IL-4 and IL-13. In the present study we focused on the role of IFN-
and TNF-
as upstream regulatory agents. We demonstrated
cytokine-dependent and -independent CKs, as well as differences in
specificity of cytokine regulation. Of the CKs examined, MIG was highly
dependent on IFN-
, which was predictable based on its known
relationship to this cytokine.32,33
Surprising was the
degree of specificity because the other known IFN-
-induced CK,
IP-10, was not dependent. However, it is known that other IFNs can
induce IP-1025
and our finding is consistent with studies
of toxoplasma and vaccinia infections, which show differential
regulation of MIG and IP-10 with IFN-
independence of the
latter.73
Our studies showed TNF-
to augment a broader
range of CKs but this was an enhancing effect suggesting other
underlying inducing factors. Furthermore, some CKs such as LIX and
MIP-2 were induced independently of TNF-
as was previously reported
in TNF receptor knockout mice stimulated with
superantigens.74
It should be noted that because of the
great effort required to monitor numerous CKs in multiple samples we
focused analysis on the rapid recruitment period, day 2. Further
studies will be needed to determine whether later stage CKs are
influenced by cytokine depletions.
In summary, our study indicates that within the redundancy and complexity of CK networks, type-specific and temporal patterns of induction can be defined during pulmonary granuloma formation. Such profiles will likely be useful in designing CK targeted therapies for chronic inflammatory conditions.
| Acknowledgements |
|---|
and TNF-
antisera; and Aron Pollack and Stacey
Haller for their expert histological assistance. | Footnotes |
|---|
Supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of HealthNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant AI43460. B. Q. is supported by HL07517 training grant (T32).
Accepted for publication January 5, 2001.
| References |
|---|
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