Regulation of allergic inflammation by TGF-b superfamily proteins

为了探讨TGF-β超家族蛋白在变应性炎症中的作用，我们研究了激活素A和TGF-β1在小鼠巨噬细胞和B淋巴细胞中的作用。活化后巨噬细胞中激活素A的产生增加，而TGF-β1的表达减少。用激活素A预处理显著增加IgG的产生，但不增加伊加和IgM的产生，而TGF-β1显著增加B细胞中伊加并抑制IgM的产生。活化素A在巨噬细胞和B细胞中的功能部分重叠，但与TGF-β1的功能明显不同，表明这两种因子在过敏性炎症中具有不同的功能。

In order to determine the roles of the TGF-β superfamily proteins in allergic inflammation, we studied the effects of activin A and TGF-β1 in mouse macrophages and B lymphocytes. Production of activin A was increased, while the expression of TGF-β1 was decreased in macrophages upon activation. Pretreatment with activin A significantly increased IgG, but not IgA and IgM, production, while TGF-β1 significantly enhanced IgA and suppressed IgM production in B cells. The functions of activin A partly overlap but are clearly distinct from that of TGF-β1 in macrophages and B cells, indicating that these two factors have distinct functions in allergic inflammation.