Trefoil factors (TFFs) are small secreted proteins that regulate tissue integrity and repair at mucosal surfaces, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. However, their relative contribution(s) to controlling baseline lung function or the extent of infection-induced lung injury are unknown issues. With the use of irradiation bone marrow chimeras, we found that TFF2 produced from both hematopoietic- and nonhematopoietic-derived cells is essential for host protection, proliferation of alveolar type 2 cells, and restoration of pulmonary gas exchange after infection with the hookworm parasite Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. In the absence of TFF2, lung epithelia were unable to proliferate and expressed reduced lung mRNA transcript levels for type 2 response-inducing IL-25 and IL-33 after infectious injury. Strikingly, even in the absence of infection or irradiation, TFF2 deficiency compromised lung structure and function, as characterized by distended alveoli and reduced blood oxygen levels relative to wild-type control mice. Taken together, we show a previously unappreciated role for TFF2, produced by either hematopoietic or nonhematopoietic sources, as a pro-proliferative factor for lung epithelial cells under steady-state and infectious injury conditions.
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