Galectin-3 belongs to a family of @entity28073 -binding animal lectins expressed in several cell types, including epithelial and immune cells. To establish the role of galectin-3 in the development of @entity32 , we compared inflammatory skin responses of galectin-3-deficient ( @entity9675 (-/-)) and wild-type ( @entity9675 (+/+)) @entity19 to epicutaneous sensitization with ovalbumin (OVA). OVA-treated @entity9675 (-/-) @entity19 exhibited markedly reduced epidermal thickening, lower eosinophil infiltration, and lower serum IgE levels compared with @entity9675 (+/+) @entity19 . The former evoked lower @entity58 , but higher @entity60 , mRNA expression at OVA-treated skin sites. Moreover, @entity9675 (-/-) splenocytes from OVA-sensitized @entity19 secreted more interleukin-12 compared with @entity9675 (+/+) splenocytes. In addition, antigen presentation by @entity9675 (-/-) dendritic cells to T cells in vitro were T helper cell (Th1)-polarized relative to presentation by @entity9675 (+/+) dendritic cells. When exposed to OVA, recipients engrafted with T cells from @entity9675 (-/-) OVA-specific T cell receptor @entity19 developed significantly reduced @entity1909 and a markedly lower @entity61 response compared with recipients of comparable @entity9675 (+/+) T cells. We conclude that galectin-3 is critical for the development of inflammatory @entity61 responses to epicutaneously administered antigens; in its absence, @entity19 develop a Th1-polarized response. This regulatory effect of galectin-3 on Th development is exerted at both the dendritic cell and T cell levels. Our studies suggest that galectin-3 may play an important role in the acute phase of @entity1 @entity483 .

Galectin-3 is critical for the development of the allergic inflammatory response in a XXXX model of @entity483 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['human'] @entity32 :: ('MESH:D007249', 'Disease') :: ['allergic skin inflammation'] @entity483 :: ('MESH:D003876', 'Disease') :: ['atopic dermatitis'] @entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['mice', 'transgenic mice'] @entity60 :: ('15978(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['interferon-gamma'] @entity61 :: ('15111(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['Th2'] @entity9675 :: ('16854(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['gal3'] @entity58 :: ('16189(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['interleukin-4'] @entity1909 :: ('MESH:D003872', 'Disease') :: ['dermatitis'] @entity28073 :: ('MESH:C007816', 'Chemical') :: ['beta-galactoside']
@entity19 :: (10090,Species) :: ['mouse']
