Seasonal exposure to birch pollen (BP) is a major cause of pollinosis.
The specific role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in BP-induced allergic
inflammation and the identification of key factors in birch pollen
extracts (BPE) initiating this process remain to be explored. This study
aimed to examine (i) the importance of TLR4 for dendritic cell (DC)
activation by BPE, (ii) the extent of the contribution of BPE-derived
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and other potential TLR4 adjuvant(s) in BPE,
and (iii) the relevance of the TLR4-dependent activation of
BPE-stimulated DCs in the initiation of an adaptive immune response. In vitro,
activation of murine bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) and human
monocyte-derived DCs by BPE or the equivalent LPS (nLPS) was analyzed by
flow cytometry. Polymyxin B (PMB), a TLR4 antagonist and TLR4-deficient
BMDCs were used to investigate the TLR4 signaling in DC activation. The
immunostimulatory activity of BPE was compared to
protein-/lipid-depleted BPE-fractions. In co-cultures of BPE-pulsed
BMDCs and Bet v 1-specific hybridoma T cells, the influence of the
TLR4-dependent DC activation on T cell activation was analyzed. In vivo
immunization of IL-4 reporter mice was conducted to study BPE-induced
Th2 polarization upon PMB pre-treatment. Murine and human DC activation
induced by either BPE or nLPS was inhibited by the TLR4 antagonist or by
PMB, and abrogated in TLR4-deficient BMDCs compared to wild-type BMDCs.
The lipid-free but not the protein-free fraction showed a reduced
capacity to activate the TLR4 signaling and murine DCs. In human DCs,
nLPS only partially reproduced the BPE-induced activation intensity.
BPE-primed BMDCs efficiently stimulated T cell activation, which was
repressed by the TLR4 antagonist or PMB, and the addition of nLPS to Bet
v 1 did not reproduce the effect of BPE. In vivo, immunization
with BPE induced a significant Th2 polarization, whereas administration
of BPE pre-incubated with PMB showed a decreased tendency. These
findings suggest that TLR4 is a major pathway by which BPE triggers DC
activation that is involved in the initiation of adaptive immune
responses. Further characterization of these BP-derived TLR4 adjuvants
could provide new candidates for therapeutic strategies targeting
specific mechanisms in BP-induced allergic inflammation.