Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 6 Is Essential in the Induction of Contact Hypersensitivity

Contact hypersensitivity (CHS) is thought to be mainly associated with the activation of T helper type 1 (Th1) cells. However, there is also evidence that Th2 cells or Th2 cytokines play a role in the development of CHS. To analyze the functional contribution of Th2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6)-deficient (STAT6(−/)−) and wild-type (wt) control C57BL/6 mice were contact sensitized with 5% 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB), 0.5% 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene, or 5% 4-ethoxyl methylene-2-phenyl-2-oxazolin-5-one, and any skin reactions were examined. Ear swelling was significantly reduced with a delayed peak response in STAT6(−/)− mice compared with wt mice. A histological analysis revealed that the infiltration of both eosinophils and neutrophils in the skin challenged after 24 h in STAT6(−/)− mice decreased substantially compared with that in wt mice. The expression of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5) in TNCB-challenged skin tissues and the supernatants from T cells stimulated by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonate–modified spleen cells, as well as the immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgG1 response after challenge, were also profoundly reduced in STAT6(−/)− mice, whereas the expression of interferon γ was the same in STAT6(−/)− and wt mice after challenge. Furthermore, adoptive transfer experiments revealed that STAT6(−/)− mice induced CHS after injection of lymph node cells obtained from sensitized wt mice. Our data suggest that the STAT6 signal plays a critical role in the induction phase of CHS.