Acanthamoeba profilin elicits allergic airway inflammation in mice

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018 Dec 17;12(12):e0006979. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006979. eCollection 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Background: In previous studies, we suggested that Acanthamoeba is a new aero-allergen and that patients who showed positive results for the skin-prick test response to Acanthamoeba cross-reacted with several pollen allergens. Additionally, patients with common antibodies reacted to the 13-15 kDa Acanthamoeba unknown allergen.

Objective: We examined whether profilin of Acanthamoeba is a human airway allergic agent because of its molecular weight.

Methods: We expressed recombinant Ac-PF (rAc-PF) protein using an Escherichia coli expression system and evaluated whether Ac-PF is an airway allergic agent using an allergic airway inflammation animal model.

Results: Airway hyperresponsiveness was increased in rAc-PF-inoculated mice. The number of eosinophils and levels of Th2 cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 were increased in the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid of rAc-PF-treated mice. The lungs of the rAc-PF-treated mice group showed enhanced mucin production and metaplasia of lung epithelial cells and goblet cells.

Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrated that rAc-PF may be an allergen in Acanthamoeba, but further studies needed to identify the mechanisms of allergenic reactions induced by Ac-PF.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acanthamoeba / genetics
  • Acanthamoeba / immunology*
  • Amebiasis / genetics
  • Amebiasis / immunology*
  • Amebiasis / parasitology
  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-13 / genetics
  • Interleukin-13 / immunology
  • Interleukin-4 / genetics
  • Interleukin-4 / immunology
  • Lung / immunology
  • Lung / parasitology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Profilins / genetics
  • Profilins / immunology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Respiratory Hypersensitivity / genetics
  • Respiratory Hypersensitivity / immunology*
  • Respiratory Hypersensitivity / parasitology

Substances

  • Interleukin-13
  • Profilins
  • Interleukin-4

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a 2-Year Research Grant of Pusan National University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.