title: Elementary immunology: Na+as a regulator of immunity.
abstract: The skin can serve as an interstitial Na+reservoir. Local tissue Na+accumulation increases with age, inflammation and infection. This increased local Na+availability favors pro-inflammatory immune cell function and dampens their anti-inflammatory capacity. In this review, we summarize available data on how NaCl affects various immune cells. We particularly focus on how salt promotes pro-inflammatory macrophage and T cell function and simultaneously curtails their regulatory and anti-inflammatory potential. Overall, these findings demonstrate that local Na+availability is a promising novel regulator of immunity. Hence, the modulation of tissue Na+levels bears broad therapeutic potential: increasing local Na+availability may help in treating infections, while lowering tissue Na+levels may be used to treat, for example, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg-Universität Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schatz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg-Universität Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neubert
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen-Friedrich-Alexander Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.affiliation: Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Binger
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Research Building, Charité Lindenberger Weg 80, Berlin, Germany.|Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gebhard
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Research Building, Charité Lindenberger Weg 80, Berlin, Germany.|Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Dominik N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Research Building, Charité Lindenberger Weg 80, Berlin, Germany.|Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.|Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Friedrich C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Luft
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen-Friedrich-Alexander Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.|Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Titze
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg-Universität Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany. Jonathan.Jantsch@ukr.de.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jantsch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D066238:Cutaneous Elimination; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D012964:Sodium / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012964:Sodium
keywords: Immune cell function and activation; Local Na+ availability; Macrophages; Skin salt storage; T cells