Nascent endothelium initiates Th2 polarization of asthma

K Asosingh, G Cheng, W Xu, BM Savasky… - The Journal of …, 2013 - journals.aai.org
K Asosingh, G Cheng, W Xu, BM Savasky, MA Aronica, X Li, SC Erzurum
The Journal of Immunology, 2013journals.aai.org
Asthma airway remodeling is linked to Th2 inflammation. Angiogenesis is a consistent
feature of airway remodeling, but its contribution to pathophysiology remains unclear. We
hypothesized that nascent endothelial cells in newly forming vessels are sufficient to initiate
Th2-inflammation. Vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin is a constitutively expressed
endothelial cell adhesion molecule that is exposed in its monomer form on endothelial tip
cells prior to adherens junction formation. Abs targeted to VE-cadherin monomers inhibit …
Abstract
Asthma airway remodeling is linked to Th2 inflammation. Angiogenesis is a consistent feature of airway remodeling, but its contribution to pathophysiology remains unclear. We hypothesized that nascent endothelial cells in newly forming vessels are sufficient to initiate Th2-inflammation. Vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin is a constitutively expressed endothelial cell adhesion molecule that is exposed in its monomer form on endothelial tip cells prior to adherens junction formation. Abs targeted to VE-cadherin monomers inhibit angiogenesis by blocking this adherens junction formation. In this study, VE-cadherin monomer Ab reduced angiogenesis in the lungs of the allergen-induced murine asthma model. Strikingly, Th2 responses including, IgE production, eosinophil infiltration of the airway, subepithelial fibrosis, mucus metaplasia, and airway-hyperreactivity were also attenuated by VE-cadherin blockade, via mechanisms that blunted endothelial IL-25 and proangiogenic progenitor cell thymic stromal lymphopoietin production. The results identify angiogenic responses in the origins of atopic inflammation.
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