title: Innate Lung Defense during Invasive Aspergillosis: New Mechanisms.
abstract: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is one of the most difficult to treat and, consequently, one of the most lethal fungal infections known to man. Continued use of immunosuppressive agents during chemotherapy and organ transplantation often leads to the development of neutropenia, the primary risk factor for IA. However, IA is also becoming more appreciated in chronic diseases associated with corticosteroid therapy. The innate immune response to Aspergillus fumigatus, the primary agent in IA, plays a pivotal role in the recognition and elimination of organisms from the pulmonary system. This review highlights recent findings about innate host defense mechanisms, including novel aspects of innate cellular immunity and pathogen recognition, and the inflammatory mediators that control infection with A. fumigatus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Jaleesa M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Garth
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steele
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D051192:Receptors, Pattern Recognition
keywords: Aspergillus fumigatus; Cytokines; Innate immunity; Pattern recognition receptors