Mycobacterial infections and the inflammatory seesaw.
Eicosanoids can have either proinflammatory effects or anti-inflammatory effects. Tobin and colleagues use a forward genetic screen in zebrafish to identify a key eicosanoid enzyme, leukotriene A(4) hydrolase (LTA(4)H), that controls susceptibility to mycobacterial infection. They also demonstrate that polymorphisms in LTA(4)H are associated with susceptibility to mycobacteria in humans.
Scanga
Charles A
CA
Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
Flynn
JoAnne L
JL