CD11c+ Alveolar Macrophages are a Source of IL-23 During Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe pulmonary disease causing high numbers of fatalities worldwide. Innate immune responses are an integral part of the pathophysiologic events during ALI. Interleukin 23 (IL-23) is a proinflammatory mediator known to direct the inflammatory responses in various settings of infection, autoimmunity, and cancer. Interleukin 23 has been associated with proliferation and effector functions in T(H)17 cells. Surprisingly, little is known about production of IL-23 during ALI. In this study, we found expression of mRNA for IL-23p19 to be 10-fold elevated in lung homogenates of C57BL/6 mice after lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI. Likewise, concentrations of IL-23 …