CUTTING EDGE - MODULATION OF AIRWAY INFLAMMATION BY CPG OLIGODEOXYNUCLEOTIDES IN A MURINE MODEL OF ASTHMA

Asthma has been increasing in industrialized countries, Evidence sugge sts that asthma is caused by a Th2 immune response to inhaled environm ental Ags and that childhood infections protect against this, We have shown that bacterial DNA contains moths, centered on unmethylated CpG dinucleotides, which induce Th1-type responses, We hypothesized that t he Th1 effect of these CPG moths may oppose the Th2 type allergic resp onse and suggest that this may account for the protective effect of ch ildhood infection against asthma, We examined the effects of CpG-motif oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) in a murine model of asthma, Airway e osinophilia, Th2 cytokine induction, IgE production, and bronchial hyp erreactivity were prevented by coadministration of CpG ODN with the Ag , Significantly, in a previously sensitized mouse, CpG ODN can prevent allergen-induced airway inflammation, These studies suggest that expo sure to CpG DNA may protect against asthma.