The role of BAFF and its receptor in allergic airway inflammation
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master Thesis
Master Thesis
Program
Publicerad
2010
Författare
Deák, Tünde
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Allergy is a worldwide disease increasing in the developing world. Allergic aiway inflammation is characterised by a complicated pathophysiology where many cells are participating. Among these cells, the eosinophils play a main role as well as T and B lymphocytes. The B cells are involved in the immune response by the massive production of IgE, which characterises atopic asthma. However, B cells have recently been accepted as multi functional regulatory cells. B cells are produced in the bone marrow, followed by maturation in the spleen. The B cell activating factor of the TNF-family (BAFF) is known to play a main role in the B cell development in the spleen. Importantly, a recent study has shown that BAFF was increased in lung tissue of humans after allergen exposure proposing a role of BAFF beyond the spleen. The BAFF protein acts through its main receptor BR3 (BAFF receptor), which is mainly expressed by the developing cells in the spleen, but also by some mature B cells. The aim of the study was to determine the role of BAFF and its receptor expressed by B cells in allergic airway inflammation. A mouse model has been used in the experiment, where Balb/c mice were sensitised to ovalbumin (OVA) intra peritoneal (i.p) and exposed to the allergen intra nasal (i.n) for t consecutive days, followed by sample collection of blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf), spleen, lung and bone marrow (BM). In order to determine inflammation in the airways, a counter staining method was used and the number of eosinophils was counted in BALf and lung. BAFF protein and interleukin 7 (IL-7)expression was measured in serum, BALf and lung tissue, utilising an enzyme immunoassay, ELISA and the BAFF-R expression was determined in the bone marrow, spleen and lung by using flow cytometry. We have found that the mouse model is a suitable model for allergic airway inflammation. The BAFF protein expression was increased after allergen exposure in the serum, BALf and lung and the BAFF-R was expressed in all evaluated compartments. Importantly, the increase of BAFF seems not to be a general effect of inflammation as IL-7 was not increased in the airways after allergen exposure. We propose a role of the BAFF system in allergic airway inflammation by the overexpression of the BAFF protein which overstimulates the BAFF-R expressing cells.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Industriell bioteknik , Industrial Biotechnology