Airway Diseases メモリーTh2細胞の病原性はアレルギー性鼻炎の段階と関連する

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Allergic rhinitis (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content>) consists of three developmental stages that are based on the presence/absence of antigen‐specific IgE and symptoms. The pathogenic Th2 (Tpath2) cells constitute a population of Th2 cells with additional potentially pathogenic characteristics. We examined the relationship between Tpath2 cells and the stages of allergic rhinitis by focusing on <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ST</jats:styled-content>2, which is an <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐33 receptor.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Patients with Japanese cedar pollen‐induced <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">JCP</jats:styled-content>‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content>) and healthy volunteers were divided into “nonsensitized,” “asymptomatic sensitized (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AS</jats:styled-content>),” and “<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">JCP</jats:styled-content>‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content>” groups. We analyzed the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ST</jats:styled-content>2 expression and the Th2 function of cultured <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CD</jats:styled-content>4<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> T cells. Next, we observed the progress of patients in the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AS</jats:styled-content> stage around the time of seasonal pollen dispersal, with the characteristics of Th2 cells.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>The <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ST</jats:styled-content>2 expression of T cells was only upregulated in the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> group. The production of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐4 and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐13 was found in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CD</jats:styled-content>4<jats:sup>+</jats:sup> T cells obtained from <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AS</jats:styled-content> by stimulation with <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">JCP</jats:styled-content>, but reactivity to <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐33 was not observed. Although <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐33 did not induce the elevation of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐4 production in the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">JCP</jats:styled-content>‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">AR</jats:styled-content> group, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐33 substantially increased the production of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐5 and <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐13 in comparison with antigen stimulation alone. In newly afflicted patients, the increased expression of <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ST</jats:styled-content>2 and elevated reactivity to <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">IL</jats:styled-content>‐33 was observed, even before the pollen dispersal season.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Our study demonstrated that the pathogenicity of memory Th2 cells is linked to sensitization and the stage of allergic rhinitis. Therefore, Tpath2 cells may provide useful insights into the mechanism of the onset and progression of allergic rhinitis.</jats:p></jats:sec>