Acanthamoeba profilin elicits allergic airway inflammation in mice

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2018-12, Vol.12 (12), p.e0006979-e0006979
• Main Authors: Song, So Myung, Kang, Shin Ae, Park, Hye Kyung, Kim, Dong Hee, Park, So Young, Jang, Se Bok, Yu, Hak Sun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acanthamoeba; Acanthamoeba - genetics; Acanthamoeba - immunology; Allergens; Allergies; Allergy; Alveoli; Amebiasis - genetics; Amebiasis - immunology; Amebiasis - parasitology; Animal models; Animals; Antibodies; Asthma; Biology and Life Sciences; Causes of; Cells; Crystal structure; Cytokines; Development and progression; Disease Models, Animal; E coli; Eosinophils; Epithelial cells; Female; Goblet cells; Humans; Immunology; Inflammation; Inoculation; Interleukin 13; Interleukin 5; Interleukin-13 - genetics; Interleukin-13 - immunology; Interleukin-4 - genetics; Interleukin-4 - immunology; Interleukins; Leukocytes (eosinophilic); Lung - immunology; Lung - parasitology; Lungs; Lymphocytes T; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metaplasia; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecular biology; Molecular weight; Mucin; Parasitology; Physiological aspects; Pollen; Profilin; Profilins - genetics; Profilins - immunology; Proteins; Protozoans; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Recombinants; Research and Analysis Methods; Respiratory Hypersensitivity - genetics; Respiratory Hypersensitivity - immunology; Respiratory Hypersensitivity - parasitology; Respiratory tract; Respiratory tract diseases; Skin; Skin tests; Tropical diseases
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006979

In previous studies, we suggested that Acanthamoeba is a new aero-allergen and that patients who showed positive results for the skin-prick test response to Acanthamoeba cross-reacted with several pollen allergens. Additionally, patients with common antibodies reacted to the 13-15 kDa Acanthamoeba unknown allergen. We examined whether profilin of Acanthamoeba is a human airway allergic agent because of its molecular weight. We expressed recombinant Ac-PF (rAc-PF) protein using an Escherichia coli expression system and evaluated whether Ac-PF is an airway allergic agent using an allergic airway inflammation animal model. Airway hyperresponsiveness was increased in rAc-PF-inoculated mice. The number of eosinophils and levels of Th2 cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13 were increased in the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid of rAc-PF-treated mice. The lungs of the rAc-PF-treated mice group showed enhanced mucin production and metaplasia of lung epithelial cells and goblet cells. In this study, we demonstrated that rAc-PF may be an allergen in Acanthamoeba, but further studies needed to identify the mechanisms of allergenic reactions induced by Ac-PF.