C57BL/6 mice are more susceptible to antigen-induced pulmonary eosinophilia than BALB/c mice, irrespective of systemic T helper 1/T helper 2 responses

Inflammatory response differences between C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice following ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and a single challenge were investigated. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgG1 levels were higher in C57BL/6 mice than in BALB/c mice. In contrast, IgG2a levels in C57BL/6 mice were lower than in BALB/c mice. Furthermore, the number of eosinophils infiltrating into lungs in C57BL/6 mice was significantly higher than in BALB/c mice after OVA challenge. The levels of the T helper 2 (Th2)-type cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5, generated in challenged C57BL/6 lung tissue, were also higher than in BALB/c lung tissue. The participation of IL-4 and IL-5 in the induction of eosinophil infiltration into the lungs was confirmed in both strains of mice by injection of anti-IL-4 and anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, following OVA stimulation, in vitro IL-4 and IL-5 production in splenocyte cultures from C57BL/6 mice was lower than in splenocyte cultures from BALB/c mice. These results indicate that C57BL/6 mice induce Th2-type responses in the lungs, while BALB/c mice induce T helper 1 (Th1)-type responses in the lungs, despite considerable production of IL-4 and IL-5 from splenocytes. Therefore, local immune responses are more important in the induction of allergic inflammation in the lungs and are different from systemic immune responses, which are thought to depend on genetic background.