Cockroach extract antigen increases bronchial airway epithelial permeability

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology Vol. 110; no. 4; pp. 589 - 595
• Main Authors: Antony, Ajay B., Tepper, Robert S., Mohammed, Kamal A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.10.2002; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Allergic diseases; Allergies; Animals; Antigens - chemistry; Antigens - pharmacology; Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchi - metabolism; Bronchi - physiology; Bronchial airway epithelial cells; bronchial epithelial permeability; Cell culture; Cells, Cultured; cockroach extract antigen; Cockroaches - chemistry; Electric Impedance; Endothelial Growth Factors - genetics; Endothelial Growth Factors - metabolism; Enzymes; Epithelium - metabolism; Epithelium - physiology; Gene expression; Humans; Immunopathology; Inner city; Lymphokines - genetics; Lymphokines - metabolism; Medical sciences; Milk; Permeability; Permeability - drug effects; Proteins; Respiratory and ent allergic diseases; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Serine Endopeptidases - analysis; Studies; Tissue Extracts - chemistry; Tissue Extracts - pharmacology; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; Bronchial airway epithelial cells; BAEC; bronchial epithelial permeability; CrAg; vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGF; cockroach extract antigen; ECIS; SFM; GAPDH; Human; Immunopathology; Allergy; Urban environment; Respiratory disease; Pathogenesis; Insecta; Blattellidae; Extract; Permeability; Asthma; Antigen; Respiratory tract; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Arthropoda; Epithelial cell; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Molecular biology; Invertebrata; Child; Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; ELISA assay; Dictyoptera
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1067/mai.2002.127798

Background: The bronchial epithelial cells of airways are subject to recurrent environmental injury throughout the life of an individual. Recently, a high incidence of asthma has been reported in inner-city children. The increased incidence of asthma in inner-city children is thought to be caused, in part, by frequent exposure to allergens of the common household pest the cockroach. Objective: We sought to investigate whether cockroach extract antigen (CrAg) induces vascular permeability factor, also known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and whether it increases permeability in bronchial airway epithelial cells (BAECs). Methods: We estimated CrAg-induced VEGF release in BAECs by using an ELISA and VEGF mRNA expression by using an RT-PCR reaction. The influence of CrAg on BAEC barrier function was estimated by measuring electrical resistance with an electric cell substrate impedance-sensing system. Results: Our results demonstrate that CrAg induces VEGF release in BAECs in a time-dependent manner. The VEGF induction was also confirmed by means of VEGF mRNA expression in CrAg-stimulated BAECs. CrAg decreased electrical resistance across BAEC monolayers. The maximum decrease in electrical resistance was noticed 6 hours after activation and reached a plateau thereafter. Neutralizing antibodies to VEGF significantly inhibited the decrease in BAEC electrical resistance caused by CrAg. Conclusions: These data suggest that CrAg induces VEGF release in BAECs and alters bronchial airway permeability. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;110:589-95.)