Immunomodulatory role of C10 chemokine in a murine model of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

The immunomodulatory role of the chemokine C10 was explored in allergic air way responses during experimental allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis ( ABPA), The intratracheal delivery of Asperigillus fumigatus Ag into A. fumi gatus-sensitized mice resulted in significantly increased levels of C10 wit hin the bronchoalveolar lavage, and these levels peaked at 48 h after A, fu migatus challenge. In addition, C10 levels in BAL samples were greater than 5-fold higher than levels of other chemokines such as monocyte-chemoattrac tant protein-1, eotaxin, and macrophage-inflammatory protein-1 alpha. From in vitro studies, it was evident that major pulmonary sources of CIO may ha ve included alveolar macrophages, lung fibroblasts, and vascular smooth mus cle cells. Experimental ABPA was associated with severe peribronchial eosin ophilia, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and augmented IL-13 and IgE levels. The immunoneutralization of C10 with polyclonal anti-C10 antiserum 2 h bef ore the intratracheal A. fumigatus challenge significantly reduced the airw ay inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in this model of ABPA, but had no e ffect on IL-10 nor IgE levels, Taken together, these data suggest that C10 has a unique role in the progression of experimental ABPA.