%0 Journal Article
%T Modulation of Bronchial Epithelial Barrier Integrity by Low Molecular Weight Components from Birch Pollen.
%A Sudharson S
%A Kalic T
%A Eckl-Dorna J
%A Lengger N
%A Breiteneder H
%A Hafner C
%J Int J Mol Sci
%V 25
%N 13
%D 2024 Jul 5
%M 39000481
%F 6.208
%R 10.3390/ijms25137374
%X Pollen, in addition to allergens, comprise low molecular weight components (LMC) smaller than 3 kDa. Emerging evidence indicates the relevance of LMC in allergic immune responses. However, the interaction of birch pollen (BP)-derived LMC and epithelial cells has not been extensively studied. We investigated epithelial barrier modifications induced by exposure to BP LMC, using the human bronchial epithelial cell line 16HBE14o-. Epithelial cell monolayers were apically exposed to the major BP allergen Bet v 1, aqueous BP extract or BP-derived LMC. Barrier integrity after the treatments was monitored by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance at regular intervals and by using the xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analysis system. The polarized release of cytokines 24 h following treatment was measured using a multiplex immunoassay. Epithelial barrier integrity was significantly enhanced upon exposure to BP LMC. Moreover, BP LMC induced the repair of papain-mediated epithelial barrier damage. The apical release of CCL5 and TNF-α was significantly reduced after exposure to BP LMC, while the basolateral release of IL-6 significantly increased. In conclusion, the results of our study demonstrate that BP-derived LMC modify the physical and immunological properties of bronchial epithelial cells and thus regulate airway epithelial barrier responses.