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Bronchial Airway Epithelial Cell Denudation In The Pathogenesis Of Asthma: The Role Of Il-4 And Il-13, Gail Ramirez-Icaza
Bronchial Airway Epithelial Cell Denudation In The Pathogenesis Of Asthma: The Role Of Il-4 And Il-13, Gail Ramirez-Icaza
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Asthma is characterized by infiltration and shedding of the bronchial epithelium. The Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 are involved in the cellular recruitment and infiltration seen in asthma. The effects ofIL-4 and IL-13 on cell-matrix interactions, gap formation, increased monolayer permeability and epithelial shedding are unknown. Experiments described in this report test the hypothesis that bronchial airway epithelial cells (BAEC) express paxillin, a structural focal adhesion protein, and down-regulation of paxillin by Th2 cytokines lead to BAEC hyperpermeability. Furthermore, the hypothesis that the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 could down-regulate the adherens junction proteins Pcatenin and E-cadherin in BAEC, and …