Interleukin 18 participates in the early inflammatory response and bacterial clearance during pneumonia caused by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae.
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a common gram-negative respiratory pathogen. To determine the role of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 18 (IL-18) during NTHi pneumonia, normal wild-type (WT) and IL-18 knockout (KO) mice were intranasally infected with NTHi. IL-18 KO mice displayed a delayed clearance of NTHi from the respiratory tract, resulting in >20-fold higher bacterial loads in their lungs at 24 h after infection, preceded by a strongly attenuated pulmonary innate immune response as determined by cytokine and chemokine induction and histopathology. These data identify IL-18 as part of an adequate innate immune response during NTHi pneumonia.
Wieland
Catharina W
CW
Center of Infection and Immunity, G2-132, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.wieland@amc.uva.nl
Florquin
Sandrine
S
van der Poll
Tom
T
D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000276:immunology*; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008954:Models, Biological; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*
D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D020382:Interleukin-18