Figure 5.

Impaired allergic airway inflammation in CD103⁺ dendritic cell (DC)-deficient BXH2 mice. (a, b) Analysis of CD11c^hi lung DCs from B6C3F1 and BXH2 mice. (a) Representative flow cytometry plots showing percentages of each DC subset. (b) Compiled data showing total cells for each subset (n=3). (c–f) Responses of B6C3F1 and BXH2 mice to sensitization and challenge with house dust extract (HDE; see METHODS). (c) Airway inflammation. Mean numbers±s.e.m. of the indicated leukocyte subsets in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) are shown after HDE challenge of unsensitized (open columns) and sensitized mice (filled columns). P-values by Student’s t-test (n=3–7). (d) Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of lung sections. (e) Airway mucus (dark purple), revealed by periodic acid-Schiff staining and Alcian Blue staining of lung sections. (f) Cytokine production. Left lung lobes were incubated for 2 days in culture medium containing HDE, and cytokines in the supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). (g) Allergic responses to cockroach antigen (CA) challenge. Mice were sensitized and challenged with CA (see METHODS) and the indicated cells in the BALF evaluated by differential staining. P-values by Student’s t-test (n=3–7). (h) Th2 responses in B6C3F1 and BXH2 mice following subcutaneous sensitization. Mice were immunized by foot-pad injections of ovalbumin (OVA)/alum, and cells from draining popliteal LNs cultured in the presence or absence of OVA. Cytokines in culture supernatants were analyzed by ELISA. Mean values±s.e.m. in triplicate assays are shown. Data represent one of the three independent experiments yielding similar results. IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin.