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Interleukin-3 amplifies acute inflammation and is a potential therapeutic target in sepsis

  • Georg F. Weber
  • , Benjamin G. Chousterman
  • , Shun He
  • , Ashley M. Fenn
  • , Manfred Nairz
  • , Atsushi Anzai
  • , Thorsten Brenner
  • , Florian Uhle
  • , Yoshiko Iwamoto
  • , Clinton S. Robbins
  • , Lorette Noiret
  • , Sarah L. Maier
  • , Tina Zönnchen
  • , Nuh N. Rahbari
  • , Sebastian Schölch
  • , Anne Klotzsche Von Ameln
  • , Triantafyllos Chavakis
  • , Jürgen Weitz
  • , Stefan Hofer
  • , Markus A. Weigand
  • Matthias Nahrendorf, Ralph Weissleder, Filip K. Swirski

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

328 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sepsis is a frequently fatal condition characterized by an uncontrolled and harmful host reaction to microbial infection. Despite the prevalence and severity of sepsis, we lack a fundamental grasp of its pathophysiology. Here we report that the cytokine interleukin-3 (IL-3) potentiates inflammation in sepsis. Using a mouse model of abdominal sepsis, we showed that innate response activator B cells produce IL-3, which induces myelopoiesis of Ly-6Chigh monocytes and neutrophils and fuels a cytokine storm. IL-3 deficiency protects mice against sepsis. In humans with sepsis, high plasma IL-3 levels are associated with high mortality even after adjusting for prognostic indicators. This study deepens our understanding of immune activation, identifies IL-3 as an orchestrator of emergency myelopoiesis, and reveals a new therapeutic target for treating sepsis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1260-1265
Number of pages6
JournalScience
Volume347
Issue number6227
DOIs
StatePublished - 13 Mar 2015
Externally publishedYes

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