Transcript Document

Fungal airway infection and
proteinase-dependent atopy
and asthma: an emerging
paradigm
Asthma is an Inflammatory
Disease of the Airways
(Adapted from Greenlee, Werb, Kheradmand; Physiol Review 2007 Jan;87(1):69-98,
nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/images/asthma.gif and apps.uwhealth.org/images/en/19321.jpg)
What Can The Mouse Tell
Us About Asthma?
Eosinophil
Corry, D.B.
Caveats
1. The exogenous (environmental) causes of
asthma remain obscure.
2. These findings were derived from an
experimental model using ovalbumin, an
allergen with no human disease relevance.
Proteinases and Asthma
Natural Sources of Proteases
Linked to Asthma
Fungi
Pollen
Intestinal worms
Integration of Innate and Adaptive Immune
Signaling Pathways
1
Proteolytic
Allergen
Th2 Cell
(IL-13)
4
3
2
Pro-Allergic
Chemokines
CCL17, CCL7,
Kiss A, et. al.,. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007; 120:334-342
How Do Microbial Proteinases
Relate to Asthma?
Can we learn more about the
environmental causes of asthma
by sifting through house dust?
Typical Fungal Crop From a Houston
House Dust Sample
Fungal Infection
Versus
Fungal Hypersensitivity?
Paul Porter, PhD
P.Porter, PhD
Zymogram of House Dust Reveals
Active Fungal Proteinases
200kDa
85kDa
Fungal Culture
From Sample #12
Dust Sample #12
Fungal Culture
From Sample #24
Dust Sample #24
P Porter, et al. Mucosal Immunol. 2009; 2:504-517
7kDa
Aspergillus niger
• Reservoirs: found ubiquitously in soil world
wild and common in homes.
• Human infections (rare): Invasive
sinobronchial aspergillosis, otomycosis
• Many industrial uses: food industry
• 80-85% of secreted protease is
aspergillopepsin I (43kDa)
P.Porter, PhD
Viable Fungal Spores (A. niger) Are
Required for Allergic Lung Disease
P Porter, et al. Mucosal
Immunol. 2009; 2:504-517
Universal Potential for AHR
Induced by Household Fungi
P. Porter et al., submitted
Mouse BAL Fluid Hyphae (A. niger)
1.
2.
A common household
fungus (A. niger)
readily infects the
mouse airway
Airway fungal infection
both elicits and is
required for allergic
lung disease.
Is this ABPA?
Paul Porter, PhD
Conidia-Dependent Allergic Lung
Disease Is Dose Dependent
P Porter, et al. Mucosal
Immunol. 2009; 2:504-517
Low-Grade A. niger Infection Induces Atopy to
Innocuous Antigens and Synergistic ALD
P Porter, et al. Mucosal
Immunol. 2009; 2:504-517
Ovalbumin-Specific Th2 Responses
Generated in Spleen by Fungal Infection
P Porter, et al. Mucosal
Immunol. 2009;
2:504-517
Summary
1. A ubiquitous household fungus (A. niger) accounts for
much of the detectable household proteinase activity in
Houston.
2. A. niger infection induces allergic lung disease in mice
through active infection.
3. A. niger induces atopy to bystander antigens, but not itself.
Paul Porter, PhD
Putative Spectrum of FungalDependent Allergic Lung Disease
Antibody negative Antibody positive
Fungal Infectious Burden
Disease Severity
IL-13 is Required
for Fungal Clearance
P Porter, et al. Mucosal
Immunol. 2009; 2:504-517
Mouse Eosinophils Are Fungicidal
A. fumigatus
P Porter, et al. Mucosal Immunol. 2009; 2:504-517
Conclusions
1. A. niger and other fungi cause allergic lung
disease through airway infection and
secretion of proteinases.
2. Common household fungi are candidate
infectious causes of human respiratory tract
allergic diseases and atopy.
Future Studies
Apply advanced methods of detection and
immunodiagnosis to determine the etiological
role of fungi in all forms of asthma.
Many Thanks To:
Baylor College of Medicine
Farrah Kheradmand
Stuart Abramson
Sumanth Polikepahad
Morgan Knight
Paul Porter
Yuping Qian
Wendy Tai
LaKeisha Batts
Luz Roberts
Alexander Seryshev
Tianshu Yang
Wen Lu
Valentine Ongeri
Manisha Singh
Jeong-Soo Hong
Anna Fields
U. TX. Health Sciences
Center
George L. Delclos
Joy De Los Reyes
Supported by:
NIH: HL075243, AI057696,
AI070973, HL095382