Efeito do Mycobacterium bovis-BCG sobre a resposta imune inata no modelo murino de alergia pulmonar experimental

Abstract

Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, characterized by symptoms such as cough, bronchoconstriction and airway hyperreactivity, associated with eosinophilic inflammation. This disease affects about 300 million people worldwide, and have a huge financial and social impact, and its prevalence has increased considerably in developed countries. This fact is associated to "Hygiene Hypothesis", which proposes that a reduced exposure of individuals to microorganisms during childhood may predispose them to the development of allergic diseases. Considering the modulatory effect exerted by BCG, and since the modulation of immune response is major in the first years of age, implied that relationship between the age of individual and the contact with certain bacterial, viral and fungal antigens, can reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases in population. The present study investigated the modulating effect exerted by BCG in the innate immune response in neonates mice sensitized with OVA. There was a reduction of allergic asthma features, such as the production of Th2 cytokine profile and eosinophilic inflammation. This was attributed to modulation of immune response induced by an increase in regulatory cytokines, as well as activation of dendritic cells CD103+CD8α+ belonging to the lung mucosa. These cells are responsible for allergens and BCG presentation through activation of Toll-like receptors 2, 4 and 9, triggering activation and cytokines production. Furthermore, they acted by increasing the percentage of costimulatory molecule PD-L1 expression after treatment, acting antagonistically in PD-L2 molecule expression, which showed a tendency to decrease after treatment. These molecules have opposite effects, which the first is associated to decrease in allergic lung inflammation, while the second is associated to airway hyperreactivity. The results indicate that BCG is a potent modulator of allergic immune response, and this regulation is more effective in the neonatal period.