Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Surfactant protein D alters allergic lung responses in mice and human subjects.

Authors: Brandt, Eric B; Mingler, Melissa K; Stevenson, Michelle D; Wang, Ning; Khurana Hershey, Gurjit K; Whitsett, Jeffrey A; Rothenberg, Marc E

Published In J Allergy Clin Immunol, (2008 May)

Abstract: Surfactant protein (SP) D has been proposed to be protective in allergic airway responses.We aimed to determine the effect of SP-D deficiency on murine and human airway allergy.Immunologic responses of SP-D gene-deficient mice (Sftpd-/-) at baseline and after 4 intranasal Aspergillus fumigatus exposures were assessed. In addition, the significance of a single nucleotide polymorphism (Met(11)Thr) in the human SP-D gene (known to decrease SP-D function) was investigated.Macrophage and neutrophil bronchoalveolar lavage fluid levels and large airway mucus production were increased in naive Sftpd-/- mice in association with increased lung CCL17 levels and CD4+ T cell numbers. T(H)2-associated antibody levels (IgG1 and IgE) were significantly lower in 4- to 5-week-old Sftpd-/- mice (P < .05). Accordingly, naive Sftpd-/- splenocytes released significantly less IL-4 and IL-13 on anti-CD3/CD28 stimulation (P < .01). After intranasal allergen exposures, a modest decrease in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid eosinophilia and IL-13 levels was observed in Sftpd-/- mice compared with values seen in wild-type mice in association with decreased airway resistance (P < .01). A single nucleotide polymorphism in the SFTPD gene, affecting SP-D levels and pathogen binding, was associated with decreased atopy in black subjects and potentially lower asthma susceptibility in white subjects.Sftpd-/- mice have an impaired systemic T(H)2 response at baseline and reduced inflammation and airway responses after allergen exposure. Translational studies revealed that a polymorphism in the SFTPD gene was associated with lower atopy and possibly asthma susceptibility. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that SP-D-dependent innate immunity influences atopy and asthma.

PubMed ID: 18355911 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Adolescent; Allergens/immunology; Animals; Asthma/immunology; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/cytology; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/immunology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology; Chemokine CCL17/biosynthesis; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Immunoglobulin E/immunology; Immunoglobulin G/immunology; Lung/immunology*; Lung/metabolism; Macrophages/immunology; Macrophages/metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Mutant Strains; Nasal Provocation Tests; Neutrophils/immunology; Neutrophils/metabolism; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D/genetics*; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D/immunology*; Respiratory Function Tests; Respiratory Hypersensitivity/immunology*; Respiratory Mucosa/immunology; Respiratory Mucosa/metabolism

Back
to Top