title: Role of Interleukin-17 in defense against pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in lungs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pseudomonas aeruginosa may cause severe or even fatal infection in hosts with immunodeficiency. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a newly discovered pro-inflammatory cytokine, which promotes the recruitment and activation of neutrophils in the respiratory tract by inducing release of chemokine C-X-C.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to explore the role of IL-17 in host defense against acute pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in lungs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of IL-17 and its downstream effectors (IL-1β, MIP-2 and G-CSF) were detected in mouse lungs with acute pseudomonas aeruginosa infection; 48 h after intratracheal administration of justice plasmid, mice were infected with pseudomonas aeruginosa again, and the bacterial clearance rate and the expression of downstream effectors of IL-17, as well as the mice death rate, were determined 6 h later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of IL-17 and its downstream effectors (IL-1β, MIP-2 and G-CSF) significantly increased in mouse lungs with acute pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. After intratracheal administration of justice plasmid expressing IL-17, the expression of IL-17 and its downstream effectors significantly increased, accompanied by increase in neutrophil count. The justice plasmid expressing IL-17 was intratracheally administered before acute pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection, which significantly increased the expression of IL-17 and its downstream effectors (IL-1β, MIP-2 and G-CSF) in the respiratory tract, leading to increasing clearance rate of bacteria and survival rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-17 may recruit neutrophil to the infected areas in the early phase of pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection.
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command Wuhan 430070, China.
authors: Xilin
authors: X
authors: Xu
authors: Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Shao
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University Hefei 230001, China.
authors: Ran
authors: R
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Occupational Medicine, Hefei Third People's Hospital Hefei 230001, China.
authors: Sijing
authors: S
authors: Zhou
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command Wuhan 430070, China.
authors: Zhongzhi
authors: Z
authors: Tang
authors: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command Wuhan 430070, China.
authors: Weihua
authors: W
authors: Lu
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Shengdao
authors: S
authors: Xiong
keywords: IL-17; gene transfection; host defense; pneumonia infection; pseudomonas aeruginosa