Abstract

Chemokines have been defined by their capacity to regulate traffic of immune cells. Here, we demonstrate that expression of β-chemokine RANTES in host cells (especially airway epithelial cells) infected with a respiratory virus enables immune cells to more efficiently migrate across the epithelial barrier. On this study, the patterns for specific apical sorting of RANTES may serve to mediate the level and directionality of immune cell traffic through epithelium (distinct from endothelium). This chemoattractant activities may efficiently regulate traffic of mucosal immune cell during normal host defense and abnormal inflammatory disease in the airway. Especially, RANTES has the pattern of preferential apical secretion provides for a soluble chemical gradient for immune cells movement from the subepithelium to the mucosal surface and maintenance there. In addition, we investigated RANTES deficiencies affect the delay on infiltrating cells movement on immunity response, and then the reduction of chemotactic activities (particular activated macrophages trafficking) were observed in airway epithelium level with viral infected RANTES deficient mice. The results therefore establish a distinct action of chemokines in regulating immune cell migration and the primary importance of this component of innate immunity for host defense.