Regulatory mechanisms of Th2 cytokine-induced eotaxin-3 production in bronchial epithelial cells: possible role of interleukin 4 receptor and nuclear factor-kappaB.

Background: Several cytokine combinations have been shown to induce eotaxins in bronchial epithelium. The mechanism for differential regulation of eotaxin expression remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of eotaxin-3 production vs eotaxin-1 production in cultured bronchial epithelium.

Upregulation of interleukin-4 receptor by interferon-gamma: enhanced interleukin-4-induced eotaxin-3 production in airway epithelium.

Airway epithelial cells produce a number of chemokines, including eotaxins. Among the three known eotaxins, T helper (Th) type 2 cytokines have been observed to induce the expression of eotaxin-3 mRNA. This study investigated the effect of interferon (IFN)-gamma, a Th1 cytokine, on Th2 cytokine-induced eotaxin-3 production in a bronchial epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B.