Antiapoptotic serine protease inhibitors contribute to survival of allergenic T2 cells.

Background: The mechanisms that regulate maintenance of persistent T2 cells and potentiate allergic inflammation are not well understood.

Objective: The function of serine protease inhibitor 2A (Spi2A) was studied in mouse T2 cells, and the serine protease inhibitor B3 (SERPINB3) and SERPINB4 genes were studied in T2 cells from patients with grass pollen allergy.

Methods: Spi2A-deficient T2 cells were studied in in vitro culture or in vivo after challenge of Spi2A knockout mice with ovalbumin in alum.