The Role Of The CCR8 Gene In An Allergic Model Of Inflammation

The CCR8 gene and it’s ligand CCL1 are thought to have a role in allergic disease. Antagonists of CCR8 may have utlilty as Introduction. therapeutic in diseases such as asthma and rhinitis. To explore the role of CCR8 in more detail we have analysed the expression of CCR8 and it’s ligand in an allergic model. In Methods. addition, in the same model, we have also studied knockout mice where the gene for CCR8 has been deleted. In an ovalbumin allergic model there is a time dependent upregulation of both CCL1 and CCR8 mRNA. CCL1 mRNA levels peak at Results. 6 hours after challenge and CCR8 mRNA peaks at 24 hours after challenge. CCL1 expression is seen initially in high levels in endothelial cells and there is some expression in the parenchyma. At later time points higher expression is seen in the parenchyma with increasing expression of CCL1 in the bronchial epithelial cells. CCR8 expression co-localises with CCL1. The pattern is of CCR8 expression follows CCL1 expression in a temporal and spatial pattern. In CCR8 KO mice the inflammatory response is reduced following OVA challenge. T cells and eosinophil’s present in lung are significantly reduced compared to wild type mice challenged in an identical way. These results suggests a non redundant role for CCR8 in allergic inflammation within this animal model Conclusions.