We evaluated the epithelial and smooth muscle IL-4Rα-dependent contributions to AHR of BALB/c mice that possessed 0-2 functional IL-4Rα alleles and had airway disease induced by house dust mite extract (HDM) or exogenous IL-13.
Inducible deletion of IL-4Rα demonstrated therapeutic effects, on established allergic airway disease and prevented the development of ovalbumin-induced airway hyperreactivity, eosinophilia and goblet cell metaplasia in allergen-sensitised mice.
This study defines the requirements for IL-4Rα-responsive CD4(+) T cells and the IL-4Rα ligands IL-4 and IL-13 in the development of allergen-specific TH2 responses during the onset and chronic phase of experimental allergic airway disease.