Nasal Virus Infection Induces Asthma Exacerbation Through B-Cell-Dependent Recruitment of Inflammatory Monocytes

Authors

• Kody A Waldstein
• Arman Issimov
• Maria Ganama
• Valerie Jinge
• Stephen Tilley
• Xiaoyang Hua

Language

English

Publication Date

12-1-2024

Journal

International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology

DOI

10.1002/alr.23426

PMID

39110115

PMCID

PMC11611691

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

12-1-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Background: Upper respiratory viral infections (URVIs) are responsible for 80% of asthma exacerbation episodes. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Methods: In this study, we used a mouse model of URVI and examined the impact of URVI on asthma phenotypes and the underlying mechanisms.

Results: Previously, we have reported that nasal-restricted infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) only produces mild sino-nasal inflammation and mucus production, without causing direct lung infection. However, such nasal-restricted infection dramatically enhanced TH2 and TH17 inflammatory responses in the lungs and increased airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in mice with house dust mite (HDM)-induced asthma. Additionally, nasal-restricted infection with RSV recruited Ly6C+ inflammatory monocytes (IMs) into the lungs of mice with and without HDM-induced asthma. The expression of monocyte chemokines, including CCL2 and CCL7, also increased. Interestingly, nasal virus infection-induced AHR was abolished in mice depleted of IMs and in CCR2-/- mice, indicating that the recruited IMs play a key role in nasal virus infection-induced asthma exacerbations in mice. Lastly, we observed that recruitment of Ly6C+ IMs following URVI was abolished in mice lacking B cells and that nasal-restricted infection with RSV increased numbers of CCL2+CCL7+ B cells in the lungs of mice as compared to controls.

Conclusions: Taken together, our data have shown that URVI enhances the allergic inflammatory response and AHR through a B cell‒monocyte regulatory axis.

Keywords

Animals, Monocytes, Asthma, B-Lymphocytes, Mice, Disease Models, Animal, Antigens, Ly, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections, Pyroglyphidae, Lung, Mice, Knockout, Chemokine CCL7, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Female, Receptors, CCR2, Th2 Cells, Mice, Inbred C57BL, asthma, allergy, allergen, viral rhinosinusitis, inflammation

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Waldstein, Kody A; Issimov, Arman; Ganama, Maria; et al., "Nasal Virus Infection Induces Asthma Exacerbation Through B-Cell-Dependent Recruitment of Inflammatory Monocytes" (2024). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 4044.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthmed_docs/4044