Pneumologie 2018; 72(S 01): S101-S102
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1619393
Sektion 1 – Allergologie und Immunologie
Freie Vorträge – Titel: Atemwegsimmunologie in Forschung und Praxis
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

An in vitro model of human bronchial epithelial cells for the investigation of the role of the airway epithelium in asthma exacerbations

JC Ehlers
1   Division of Experimental Pneumology, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research and Member of the Leibniz Research Association Health Technologies
,
S Bartel
2   Division of Early Life Origins of Cld, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research and Member of the Leibniz Research Association Health Technologies
,
C Vock
1   Division of Experimental Pneumology, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research and Member of the Leibniz Research Association Health Technologies
,
H Fehrenbach
1   Division of Experimental Pneumology, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research and Member of the Leibniz Research Association Health Technologies
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
21 February 2018 (online)

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Background:

Viral infections can evoke an acute worsening or exacerbation of chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma. Exacerbations produce significant costs for the health system and seriously diminish the quality of life of the patient.

Aim:

It is the aim of this study to establish an in vitro model for the investigation of the airway epithelium and its role in the initiation of asthma exacerbations.

Methods:

Primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) from healthy patients were cultured for 28 days at air-liquid interface (ALI) conditions. To induce an asthmatic phenotype, ALI-cultures were treated with human recombinant T helper cell type 2 cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13). The surrogate poly(I:C) was used to mimic a viral infection known to be the main trigger of exacerbations.

Results:

ALI-cultures of HBE built up a pseudostratified differentiated epithelium consisting of basal, ciliated and secretory cells comparable to human airway epithelium.

The number and size of goblet cells was markedly increased in ALI-cultures treated with IL-13. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of the mucin Muc5AC and the eosinophil chemotactic factor eotaxin 3 were strongly induced.

The expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, were induced after stimulation with poly(I:C). Additional pre-treatment with IL-13 resulted in a more pronounced increase of IL-8 and TNFα in these ALI-cultures.

Conclusion:

We suggest that this cell culture model is suitable to mimic important characteristics of asthma exacerbations related to the airway epithelium. Furthermore, this in vitro model can help to understand its role in exacerbation.

Supported by the BMBF (FKZ 13N13857 and 82DZL001A1)