Previous studies have shown that the pan CD28/cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen (CTL)A-4 antagonist CTLA4 immunoglobulin (Ig) inhibits eosinophilic airway inflammation in Schistosoma mansoni-sensitized and airway-challenged mice. In the present study, the importance of CD28 as well as the individual roles of CD80 and CD86 were examined in this system using wild-type and CD28 knockout (KO) mice. Unlike wild-type controls, CD28KO mice did not produce systemic IgE or eosinophilic airway inflammation after antigen challenge. However, a lymphocytic infiltrate and continued production of interferon-gamma was observed in these animals. Thus, CD28 is not essential for the initial recruitment of lymphocytes into antigen-challenged airways but critically regulates the allergic T-helper 2 phenotype. We next determined by polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry that CD80 and CD86 molecules are constitutively expressed in the naive murine lung and on eosinophils in the allergic lung, suggesting a potential important role for both ligands in the development of asthma. Combined anti-CD80/anti-CD86 treatment throughout the antigen challenge period fully blocked the development of allergic airways, whereas a partial reduction was observed in mice treated with either anti-CD80 or anti-CD86 antibody alone. However, only anti-CD86 blocked systemic IgE production. Therefore, signaling through either CD80 or CD86 is sufficient to generate a partial local allergic response, whereas CD86 costimulation is essential to induce systemic allergic (IgE) reactions. Finally, combined anti-B7 monoclonal antibody treatment after sensitization reduced airway eosinophilia and interleukin (IL)-4/IL-5 cytokine secretion consistent with an ongoing role for CD28/B7 interactions in the effector phase of the disease. These results emphasize the importance of differential B7 expression on different cells and in different organs on subsequent CD28/B7-mediated immune events, including the potential for CD28/B7 blockade in the treatment of atopic airway disease in people.

We studied the effects of an anti-interleukin (IL)-5 monoclonal antibody (TRFK-5) or dexamethasone (DEX) to reverse already established airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and tissue eosinophilia in a Schistosoma mansoni antigen-sensitized and airway-challenged mouse model of chronic asthma. In this model at 4 d after antigen challenge there is dramatic bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) eosinophilia, AHR to intravenous methacholine (MCh), and histologic evidence of peribronchial eosinophilic infiltration and mucoid cell hyperplasia. These changes persist for up to 2 wk after antigen challenge. Treatment with DEX from Days 4 through 10 significantly reduced established airway eosinophilia compared with animals sham-treated with saline from Days 4 -10 (120 +/- 29 eosinophils/microl BAL for DEX-treated mice versus 382 +/- 60 eosinophils/microl BAL for sham-treated animals, p < 0.01). DEX-treated mice also had dramatically reduced mucoid cell hyperplasia, and airway responsiveness returned to normal. In contrast, TRFK-5 given during the same time period reduced airway eosinophilia (86 +/- 32 eosinophils/microl BAL versus 382 +/- 60 eosinophils/microl BAL, p < 0.01) but did not reduce goblet cell hyperplasia or reverse already established AHR. Treatment with DEX but not TRFK-5 also inhibited interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) content of BAL fluid (0.49 +/- 0.09 ng/ml BAL fluid for DEX versus 1.50 +/- 0.24 ng/ml BAL fluid and 1.36 +/- 0.13 ng/ml BAL fluid for TRFK-5 and sham-treated mice, respectively, both p < 0.001 versus DEX). Thus, treatment with DEX reduces established eosinophilic airway inflammation and AHR in S. mansoni-sensitized and airway-challenged mice but treatment with TRFK-5 reversed established eosinophilia without ameliorating established AHR. Together, these data suggest that once airway inflammation develops, neutralizing the effects of IL-5 or reducing eosinophilia alone may not result in inhibiting established AHR in atopic asthma.

Complete T-cell activation requires two distinct signals, one delivered via the T-cell receptor, and the second "co-stimulatory" signal through CD28/B7 ligation. Previous studies showed that the blockade of CD28/B7 ligation alters differentiation of Th1/Th2 lymphocyte subsets in vitro and in vivo. The present study was designed to determine the effect of a CD28/B7 antagonist (CTLA4Ig) on Th1/Th2 development in Schistosoma mansoni-sensitized and airway-challenged mice. Treatment of mice with CTLA4Ig beginning 1 wk after sensitization abolished airway responsiveness to intravenous methacholine determined 96 h following antigen challenge. We also found a significant reduction in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) eosinophilia, and reduced peribronchial eosinophilic infiltration and mucoid-cell hyperplasia. Furthermore, CTLA4Ig treatment significantly decreased interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 content in BAL fluid in vivo, and the production of IL-5 by lung lymphocytes stimulated with soluble egg antigen (SEA) in vitro. In contrast, the content of interferon-gamma in BAL fluid and supernatant from SEA-stimulated lung lymphocytes from CTLA4Ig-treated mice was increased significantly compared with untreated animals. Thus, CTLA4Ig inhibits eosinophilic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in S. mansoni-sensitized and airway-challenged mice, most likely due to attenuated secretion of Th2-type cytokines and increased secretion of Th1-type cytokines.

This study evaluated the utility of data collected by the high-spectral resolution Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS-2, tree mode, spectral range 0.8–2.2 μm) and the broad-band Daedalus Airborne Thematic Mapper (ATM, spectral range 0.42–13.0 μm) in assessing forest decline damage at a predominantly Scotch pine forest in the Federal Republic of Germany. Analysis of spectral radiance values from the ATM and raw digital number (DN) values from AIS-2 showed that higher reflectance in the near infrared was characteristic of high damage (heavy chlorosis, limited needle loss) in Scotch pine canopies. A classification image of a portion of the AIS-2 flight line, generated using log residual data in conjunction with the SPAM “Find” algorithm, agreed very well with a damage assessment map produced by standard aerial photointerpretation techniques. Results suggest that fine feature spectral differences in canopy reflectance have been detected in the near and short wave infrared by the AIS-2 and these features correspond with visual evidence of damage. The exact nature of these spectral fine features is not presently understood. These preliminary results indicate that both visible as well as near and short wave infrared reflectance features do characterize increasing damage in Scotch pine.