A role for transforming growth factor-β1 in the increased pneumonitis in murine allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients with graft-versus-host disease after pulmonary …

To gain further insights in the pathogenesis of herpesvirus pneumonia in allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients, transplanted mice (B10.BR → CBA) with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and control mice (transplanted mice without GVHD and normal CBA mice) were infected intranasally with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). When compared with infected control mice, infected allogeneic transplant recipients with GVHD showed increased periluminal mononuclear cell infiltrates. However, infected allogeneic transplant recipients with GVHD showed lower virus content in the lung tissue than infected control mice. High concentrations of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) were detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of mock-infected allogeneic transplant recipients with GVHD, which increased slightly after infection. Anti–TGF-β treatment of allogeneic transplant recipients with …