Aggravation of Allergic Airway Inflammation by Cigarette Smoke in Mice Is CD44-Dependent.
BACKGROUND:Although epidemiological studies here reveal that cigarette smoke (CS) facilitates the development and exacerbation of allergic asthma, these studies offer limited information on the mechanisms involved.The transmembrane glycoprotein CD44 is involved in cell adhesion and acts as a receptor for hyaluronic acid and osteopontin.We aimed to