Thymic stromal lymphopoietin and IL-33 promote skin inflammation and vaccinia virus replication in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis

Eczema vaccinatum (EV) is a life-threatening complication of exposure to smallpox vaccination in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) characterized by dissemination of vaccinia virus (VV) in the skin and internal organs.1 We have shown that BALB/c mice inoculated with VV at sites of allergic skin inflammation elicited by epicutaneous sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA) exhibit features of EV.2 They include satellite lesions and VV dissemination to internal organs. EV features were absent in mice inoculated with VV in control skin epicutaneously sensitized with saline, suggesting that allergic skin inflammation predisposes to VV dissemination,2 which is consistent with the known role of the TH2 cytokine IL-4 in promoting VV dissemination.
Source: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research