CD11c+ Cells Are Required for Antigen-Induced Increase of Mast Cells in the Lung

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Abstract
Patients with allergic asthma have more lung mast cells, which likely worsens the symptoms. In experimental asthma, CD11c+ cells have to be present during the challenge phase for several features of allergic inflammation to occur. Whether CD11c+ cells play a role for Ag-induced increases of lung mast cells is unknown. In this study, we used diphtheria toxin treatment of sensitized CD11c-diphtheria toxin receptor transgenic mice to deplete CD11c+ cells. We demonstrate that recruitment of mast cell progenitors to the lung is substantially reduced when CD11c+ cells are depleted during the challenge phase. This correlated with an impaired induction of endothelial VCAM-1 and led to a significantly reduced number of mature mast cells 1 wk after challenge. Collectively, these data suggest that Ag challenge stimulates CD11c+ cells to produce cytokines and/or chemokines required for VCAM-1 upregulation on the lung endothelium, which in turn is crucial for the Ag-induced mast cell progenitor recruitment and the increase in mast cell numbers.

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