Interleukin 17 Receptor E (IL-17RE) and IL-17C Mediate the Recruitment of Neutrophils during Acute Streptococcus pneumoniae Pneumonia

Abstract

Neutrophils contribute to lung injury in acute pneumococcal pneumonia. The interleukin 17 receptor E (IL-17RE) is the functional receptor for the epithelial-derived cytokine IL-17C, which is known to mediate innate immune functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of IL-17RE/IL-17C to pulmonary inflammation in a mouse model of acute Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia. Numbers of neutrophils and the expression levels of the cytokine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were decreased in lungs of IL-17RE-deficient (Il-17re−/−) mice infected with S. pneumoniae. Numbers of alveolar macrophages rapidly declined in both wild-type (WT) and Il-17re−/− mice and recovered 72 h after infection. There were no clear differences in the elimination of bacteria and numbers of blood granulocytes between infected WT and Il-17re−/− mice. The fractions of granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (GMPs) were significantly reduced in infected Il-17re−/− mice. Numbers of neutrophils were significantly reduced in lungs of mice deficient for IL-17C 24 h after infection with S. pneumoniae. These data indicate that the IL-17C/IL-17RE axis promotes the recruitment of neutrophils without affecting the recovery of alveolar macrophages in the acute phase of S. pneumoniae lung infection.