IL-13 receptor alpha 2 selectively inhibits IL-13-induced responses in the murine lung

IL-13 is a critical cytokine at sites of Th2 inflammation. In these locations it mediates its effects via a receptor complex, which contains IL-4R alpha and IL-13R alpha 1. A third, high-affinity IL-13 receptor, IL-13R alpha 2, also exists. Although it was initially felt to be a decoy receptor, this has not been formally demonstrated and the role(s) of this receptor has recently become controversial. To define the role(s) of IL-13R alpha 2 in IL-13-induced pulmonary inflammation and remodeling, we compared the effects of lung-targeted transgenic IL-13 in mice with wild-type and null IL-13R alpha 2 loci. We also investigated the effect of IL-13R alpha 2 deficiency on the OVA-induced inflammatory response. In this study, we show that in the absence of IL-13R alpha 2, IL-13-induced pulmonary inflammation, mucus metaplasia, subepithelial fibrosis, and airway remodeling are significantly augmented. These changes were accompanied by increased expression and production of chemokines, proteases, mucin genes, and TGF-beta 1. Similarly, an enhanced inflammatory response was observed in an OVA-induced phenotype. In contrast, disruption of IL-13R alpha 2 had no effect on the tissue effects of lung-targeted transgenic IL-4. Thus, IL-13R alpha 2 is a selective and powerful inhibitor of IL-13-induced inflammatory, remodeling, and physiologic responses in the murine lung.