H2-Eb1 expression is upregulated in the nasal mucosa of pateints with allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common allergic diseases. The results of recent studies of HLA-DRB1 suggest that HLA-DRB1 plays an important role in allergic disease.The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the H2-Eb1 (orthologous gene of human HLA-DRB1 in mice) gene and AR pathogenesis in AR mice.Female 129/sv mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) to establish an AR mouse model. After successful induction, the nasal mucosa was fixed and stained for pathologic analysis, such as eosinophil (EOS) evaluation and mast cell infiltration etc. The Th1 and Th2 cytokines IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and the OVA-specific IgE levels were detected using the ELISA method. The H2-Eb1 and GATA-3 (GATA-binding protein-3) and T-bet (T-box expressed in T-cells) protein expression in the nasal mucosa were detected by the western blot or immune-histochemistry, immunofluorescence technique. The expression of H2-Eb1 mRNA in nasal mucosa was analyzed by quantitative real time PCR.Compared with the control group, the cilia layer in nasal mucosa of the experimental group was found to be partially desquamated; eosinophil (EOS) and mast cell infiltration was found in submucosal layer; serum OVA-IgE and IL-4, IL-10 levels were found to be significantly increased, together with a decrease of IFN-γ and IL-2 levels. The expression of H2-Eb1 mRNA and H2-Eb1 protein, as well as the ratio of GATA-3/T-bet expression, were upregulated in the nasal mucosa of the experimental group as compared to controls.H2-Eb1 expression, accompanied by an increased GATA-3/T-bet ratio were significantly upregulated in the nasal mucosa of our successfully established AR mouse model, suggesting that HLA-DRB1 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AR and in Th1/Th2 balance regulation.