IL-13 is associated with reduced illness and replication in primary respiratory syncytial virus infection in the mouse

Weisong Zhou, Koichi Hashimoto, Martin L. Moore, Jack A. Elias, Zhou Zhu, Joan Durbin, Giuseppe Colasurdo, John A. Rutigliano, Constance L. Chiappetta, Kasia Goleniewska, Jamye F. O'Neal, Barney S. Graham, R. Stokes Peebles

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

The role of IL-13 in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunopathogenesis is incompletely described. To assess the effect of IL-13 on primary RSV infection, transgenic mice which either overexpress IL-13 in the lung (IL-13 OE) or non-transgenic littermates (IL-13 NT) were challenged intranasally with RSV. IL-13 OE mice had significantly decreased peak viral titers four days after infection compared to non-transgenic littermates. In addition, IL-13 OE mice had significantly lower RSV-induced weight loss and reduced lung IFN-γ protein expression compared with IL-13 NT mice. In contrast, primary RSV challenge of IL-13 deficient mice resulted in a small, but statistically significant increase in viral titers on day four after infection, no difference in RSV-induced weight loss compared to wild type mice, and augmented IFN-γ production on day 6 after infection. In STAT1-deficient (STAT1 KO) mice, where primary RSV challenge produced high levels of IL-13 production in the lungs, treatment with an IL-13 neutralizing protein resulted in greater peak viral titers both four and six days after RSV and greater RSV-induced weight loss compared to mice treated with a control protein. These results suggest that IL-13 modulates illness from RSV-infection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2880-2889
Number of pages10
JournalMicrobes and Infection
Volume8
Issue number14-15
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2006
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • IL-13
  • Interferon
  • Virus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

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