title: CXCL14 deficiency does not impact the outcome of influenza or Escherichia coli infections in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chemokines are small proteins that regulate different cellular functions, such as leukocyte activation, chemoattraction and inflammation. The chemokine CXCL14 (BRAK) is a highly conserved gene among species and through evolution. It has been shown that CXCL14 is locally upregulated during viral infections, also, it has been found that this chemokine possesses direct antibacterial activities. Nonetheless, the exact role that CXCL14 plays during infection remains elusive.
  
  
  METHODS
  CXCL14 deficient mice were generated in a C57B6/129 background and followed by phenotypic characterization. Later, the effect of CXCL14 deficiency during influenza infection and E. coli challenge was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Other than a slight weight reduction, CXCL14 deficient mice exhibited no phenotypic alterations. CXCL14 deficiency did not influence the outcome of influenza virus infection or challenge with E. coli, and no statistically significant differences in clinical signs, cellular responses and histopathological findings were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CXCL14 does not seem to play a pivotal role during influenza and E. coli infections of the lung; these results are suggestive of functional overlap between CXCL14 and other chemokines that are present during lung infection.
authors.affiliation: Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. a.sidahmed@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Abubaker Me
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sidahmed
authors.forename: Alberto J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Banner
authors.forename: Alyson A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kelvin
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Boudakov
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Degousse
authors.forename: Barry B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kelvin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000172:deficiency*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: C517518:CXCL14 protein, mouse; D019743:Chemokines, CXC