Air Quality and Pediatric Asthma-Related Emergencies

tracheal injection of ovalbumin-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) or ovalbumin and were killed at varying time points thereafter depending on the aspect of DC function being studied (migration, maturation, or T-cell activation). Lung cells were isolated, and the numbers of DCs were determined in exposed and unexposed mice by flow cytometry. Migration of lung DCs to thoracic lymph nodes (TLNs) was assessed by measuring CD11c FITC cells. Maturation of TLN DCs after ovalbumin exposure was then determining by assessing expression of cell-surface costimulatory molecules (CD80, CD86, MHCII, CD40). T-cell proliferation was assessed by measuring T-cell–derived cytokine production by TLN cells in vitro. The staining profile was assessed to measure T-cell proliferation in vivo.