Reciprocal patterns of allergen-induced GATA-3 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from atopics vs. non-atopics

C. Macaubas, P.T. Lee, T.B. Smallacombe, B.J. Holt, C. Wee, Peter Sly, Patrick Holt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background T helper (Th)2 cytokines are considered to play a central role in the induction and expression of allergic disease. However, the relative importance of individual cytokines is unclear, and overall disease pathogenesis appears to involve the coordinate activities of a range of Th2 cytokines acting in sequence or in parallel. The present study examines an alternative approach to the study of cytokine gene function in atopy, focusing instead upon T cell transcription factors (TFs) which play a role in the regulation of multiple cytokine genes.Objective To investigate the allergen-induced expression of the TF GATA-3 and c-Maf in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in cytokine-driven Th polarization.Methods PBMC from house dust mite (HDM)-atopic and non-atopics were stimulated in vitro with allergen or anti-CD3/IL-2. TF expression was analysed by semiquantitative RT-PCR and major findings were validated by real-time PCR. Cell separations were performed to analyse the contribution of CD45RO(+) cells. CD4(+) cord blood cells were Th1 or Th2 polarized in vitro by exogenous cytokines and TF expression analysed by Northern blot and real-time PCR.Results We demonstrate for the first time that during differentiation of CD4(+) CD45RA(+) naive human T cells towards Th2 commitment, and during allergen-specific reactivation of peripheral CD4(+) CD45RO(+) Th2 memory cells in established atopics, expression of the Th2-associated TF GATA-3 is rapidly up-regulated, whereas T cells from non-atopics display equally rapid GATA-3 down-regulation under identical conditions of allergen stimulation.Conclusion These findings identify Th2-associated TFs as key determinants of the atopic phenotype, suggesting their unique potential as therapeutic targets for disease control.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)97-106
JournalClinical and Experimental Allergy
Volume32
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2002

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