Anti-inflammatory pathways as a host evasion mechanism for pathogens.
Lipoxins play a key role in controlling potent pro-inflammatory responses triggered by infection with pathogens, such as Toxoplasma gondii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In order to contain microbial dissemination, infected hosts must mount a powerful immune response to prevent mortality. The onset of the chronic phase of infection is characterized by continuous cell-mediated immunity. Such potent responses are kept under tight control by a class of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, the lipoxins. Here, we review such immune-containment strategies from the host's perspective, to keep pro-inflammatory responses under control during chronic disease, as well as from the perspective of the pathogen, which pirates the host's lipoxygenase machinery to its own advantage as a probable immune-escape mechanism.
Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA. julio.aliberti@duke.edu
Julio
J
Aliberti
Andre
A
Bafica
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000502:physiology*; D044045:Lipoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D044045:Lipoxins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma