Allergic airway inflammation to cockroach allergen is dependent on thymic stromal lymphopoietin

Abstract Environmental allergens are a major culprit in the development and exacerbation of asthma. Particularly, exposure and sensitization to cockroach allergen has been highly associated with asthma severity and morbidity. Currently, there is very little information regarding how exposure to cockroach allergen leads to allergic sensitization and airway inflammation. TSLP (thymic stromal lymphopoietin) is an epithelial cytokine that has been linked to the development of allergic inflammatory diseases. Levels of TSLP are elevated in the lungs of asthmatics and correlates with the severity of the disease. Using a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation to cockroach allergen, we’ve identified an important role for TSLP in the response to cockroach allergen. In this model, intranasal sensitization and challenge to cockroach extract results in a robust TH2 airway inflammatory response along with mucus production. This inflammatory response is significantly reduced in TSLP receptor-deficient mice and depends on the presence of the TSLP receptor on specific immune cell populations. Results from these studies will help expand our knowledge of how exposure to cockroach allergen triggers the development of an allergic TH2 response.