TY - JOUR T1 - The role of allergen-activated eosinophils in lung structural cells activation in asthma JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.lungscienceconference-2019.PP227 VL - 5 IS - suppl 2 SP - PP227 AU - Ieva Janulaityte AU - Andrius Januskevicius AU - Virginija Kalinauskaite-Zukauske AU - Reinoud Gosens AU - Kestutis Malakauskas Y1 - 2019/03/07 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/5/suppl_2/PP227.abstract N2 - Airway eosinophilia is a prominent feature of allergic asthma. Eosinophils may directly, by adhesion, and indirectly, by mediators, act on airway remodeling.Aim: To evaluate the effect of allergen-activated eosinophils on airway structural cells migration, contractility and ECM genes expression in asthma.Methods: 10 allergic asthma patients (AA) and 11 healthy subjects (HS) were examined and underwent bronchial allergen challenge. Blood eosinophils were isolated using high-density centrifugation and magnetic separation. Individual combined cultures of eosinophils and healthy  ASM cells as well as pulmonary fibroblasts were prepared. Migration was evaluated after 24h using wound healing assay. Contractility was evaluated after 24 h using collagen gel method. For gene expression analysis airway structural cells were lysed and total RNA purified after 24 h of incubation with eosinophils. Gene expression was evaluated using qPCR analysis.Results: Gene expression of ECM proteins (COL1, COL3, COL5, FN, TGF-ß1, VTN, a-SMA) in ASM cells and pulmonary fibroblasts was significantly (p<0.05) promoted after incubation with activated asthmatic eosinophils compared to baseline and HS. After bronchial challenge, asthmatic eosinophils significantly induced migration (ASM 18.80±4.62 vs. 35.20±4.47, p<0.05; fibroblasts 8±2.43 vs. 21.4±2.46, p<0.05) as well as contractility of collagen gel  (ASM 16.3±0.95 vs. 25.9±4.59, p<0.05; fibroblasts 12.5±2.40 vs. 16.50±1.15, p<0.05).Conclusions: Asthmatic eosinophils may be responsible for airway remodeling as allergen-activated eosinophils promote airway structural cells activity by increased migration, contractility as well as ECM gene expression.FootnotesCite this article as: ERJ Open Research 2019; 5 : Suppl. 2, PP227.This is an ERS Lung Science Conference abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this conference is available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only). ER -