Host innate defenses in the lung: the role of cytokines.
OBJECTIVE
The lung has a unique relationship with the environment. Through evolution the lung has developed strategies to defend itself from microbial invasion. As we encounter increasing multidrug-resistant microorganisms, we need to further our knowledge of innate defense systems in order to design novel strategies to deal with these microbes without inducing over-exuberant inflammation and lung injury.


RESULTS
The development of lung innate immunity requires microbial molecular pattern recognition by the recently described Toll like receptors, the release of early response cytokines that further activate the 'master switch', nuclear factor-kappaB, leading to amplified host defense to invading microbes. A balance of Type 1 and Type 2 cytokines modulates the intensity of innate immunity. Cytokines/chemokines orchestrate the polarization and transition of innate to adaptive immunity.


CONCLUSIONS
The elucidation of the pathways involved in innate immunity and factors controlling the transition to adaptive immunity will improve our understanding of the host response to infection and improve our ability to design new therapies for the treatment of infectious disease.
Strieter
Robert M
RM
Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1922, USA. rstrieter@mednet.ucla.edu
Belperio
John A
JA
Keane
Michael P
MP
D018925:Chemokines / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D018448:Models, Immunological; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma