PURPOSE: To determine the role of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) and myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) in priming effector T cells to induce allergy, and to evaluate the effect of immunostimulatory sequences (ISS, TLR9 agonist) on dendritic cells. METHODS: Cultured mDC and pDC with/without ISS were injected intratracheally into sensitized Balb/C mice. Mice were sacrificed, and then pulmonary function tests, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), cell counts, and cytokine levels were evaluated. Migration of dendritic cells was also evaluated after ISS administration. RESULTS: In mice injected with mDC, airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophil counts, and Th2 cytokine levels in BAL increased with increasing numbers of mDC injected. However, in mice injected with pDC, none of these changed, suggesting poor priming of T cells by pDC. In addition, mDC pulsed with ISS inhibited asthmatic reactions, and ISS administration inhibited migration of DC to the lung. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that pDC played a limited role in priming T cells in this asthma model and that mDC played a major role in inducing asthma. In addition, ISS inhibited migration of DC to the lung.
Animals ; Asthma ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Cell Count ; Dendritic Cells ; Eosinophils ; Hypersensitivity ; Lung ; Mice ; Respiratory Function Tests ; T-Lymphocytes

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-system inflammatory disorder that has many symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms are common, while colonic involvement in the form of ischemic colitis or a colonic ulcer is rare in SLE. The differential diagnosis of ischemic proctitis with ulceration includes an infected ulcer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, solitary rectal ulcer colitis, malignant tumor, and lupus colitis. Here, we report a 22-year-old male with abdominal pain and diarrhea, who had a huge rectal ulcer that nearly obstructed the rectosigmoid junction. This turned out to be a rare gastrointestinal manifestation of lupus. He recovered after being treated with high-dose oral steroids. Our case demonstrates that a rectal ulcer is a rare, but important, complication of SLE and can be the initial clinical manifestation of the disease.
Abdominal Pain ; Colitis ; Colitis, Ischemic ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon ; Crohn Disease ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Male ; Proctitis ; Steroids ; Ulcer ; Young Adult

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-system inflammatory disorder that has many symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms are common, while colonic involvement in the form of ischemic colitis or a colonic ulcer is rare in SLE. The differential diagnosis of ischemic proctitis with ulceration includes an infected ulcer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, solitary rectal ulcer colitis, malignant tumor, and lupus colitis. Here, we report a 22-year-old male with abdominal pain and diarrhea, who had a huge rectal ulcer that nearly obstructed the rectosigmoid junction. This turned out to be a rare gastrointestinal manifestation of lupus. He recovered after being treated with high-dose oral steroids. Our case demonstrates that a rectal ulcer is a rare, but important, complication of SLE and can be the initial clinical manifestation of the disease.
Abdominal Pain ; Colitis ; Colitis, Ischemic ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon ; Crohn Disease ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Male ; Proctitis ; Steroids ; Ulcer ; Young Adult