Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Section of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
J Inflamm (Lond). 2012 Mar 9;9:5. doi: 10.1186/1476-9255-9-5.
Asthma is characterised by increased numbers of Th2-like cells in the airways and IgE secretion. Generation of Th2 cells requires interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 acting through their specific receptors and activating the transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6). STAT6 knockout mice fail to produce IgE, airway hyperresponsiveness and bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophilia after allergen sensitisation, suggesting a critical role for STAT6 in allergic responses.
We have investigated the expression of STAT6 in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes, alveolar macrophages and bronchial biopsies from 17 normal subjects and 18 mild-moderate steroid-naïve stable asthmatic patients.
STAT6 expression was variable and was detected in T-lymphocytes, macrophages and bronchial epithelial cells from all subjects with no difference between normal and stable asthmatic subjects.
STAT6 expression in different cells suggests that it may be important in regulating the expression of not only Th2-like cytokines in T cells of man, but may also regulate STAT-inducible genes in alveolar macrophages and airway epithelial cells.
哮喘的特征是气道中 Th2 样细胞数量增加和 IgE 分泌。Th2 细胞的产生需要白细胞介素 (IL)-4 和 IL-13 通过其特定受体发挥作用，并激活转录因子信号转导和转录激活因子 6 (STAT6)。STAT6 基因敲除小鼠在变应原致敏后不能产生 IgE、气道高反应性和支气管肺泡灌洗液嗜酸性粒细胞增多，表明 STAT6 在过敏反应中具有关键作用。
我们研究了 STAT6 在 17 名正常受试者和 18 名轻度至中度类固醇初治稳定哮喘患者的外周血 T 淋巴细胞、肺泡巨噬细胞和支气管活检组织中的表达。
STAT6 表达在所有受试者的 T 淋巴细胞、巨噬细胞和支气管上皮细胞中均存在差异，在正常和稳定哮喘患者之间无差异。
不同细胞中的 STAT6 表达表明，它可能不仅对调节人类 T 细胞中 Th2 样细胞因子的表达很重要，而且可能调节肺泡巨噬细胞和气道上皮细胞中的 STAT 诱导基因。
