American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2018
Staphylococcus aureus Induces a Mucosal Type 2 Immune Response via Epithelial Cell-derived Cytokines.
Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps is characterized by a T-helper cell type 2-skewed upper airway inflammation. Mucosal Staphylococcus aureus colonization is found in the majority of patients with nasal polyps. S. aureus is known to induce type 2 cytokine release via enterotoxins. ⋯ This study demonstrates for the first time that S. aureus can directly induce epithelial cell-derived cytokine release via binding to Toll-like receptor 2, and may thereby propagate type 2 cytokine expression in nasal polyp tissue.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2018
AMP-activated Protein Kinase Phosphorylation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 in Endothelium Mitigates Pulmonary Hypertension.
Endothelial dysfunction plays an integral role in pulmonary hypertension (PH). AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) are crucial in endothelial homeostasis. The mechanism by which AMPK regulates ACE2 in the pulmonary endothelium and its protective role in PH remain elusive. ⋯ Impaired phosphorylation of ACE2 Ser680 by AMPK in pulmonary endothelium leads to a labile ACE2 and hence is associated with the pathogenesis of PH. Thus, AMPK regulation of the vasoprotective ACE2 is a potential target for PH treatment.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2018
The Lung Microbiota of Healthy Mice Are Highly Variable, Cluster by Environment, and Reflect Variation in Baseline Lung Innate Immunity.
The "gut-lung axis" is commonly invoked to explain the microbiome's influence on lung inflammation. Yet the lungs harbor their own microbiome, which is altered in respiratory disease. The relative influence of gut and lung bacteria on lung inflammation is unknown. ⋯ In the lungs of healthy mice, baseline innate immune tone more strongly reflects local (lung-lung) microbe-host interactions than remote (gut-lung) microbe-host interactions. Our results independently confirm the existence and immunologic significance of the murine lung microbiome, even in health. Variation in lung microbiota is likely an important, underappreciated source of experimental and clinical variability. The lung microbiome is an unexplored therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory lung disease.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Aug 2018
The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Maastricht Treaty for Nomenclature in Extracorporeal Life Support. A Position Paper of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization.
Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was developed more than 50 years ago, initially with venoarterial and subsequently with venovenous configurations. As the technique of ECLS significantly improved and newer skills developed, complexity in terminology and advances in cannula design led to some misunderstanding of and inconsistency in definitions, both in clinical practice and in scientific research. ⋯ The goal is to provide a consistent and unambiguous nomenclature for ECLS and to overcome the inconsistent use of abbreviations for ECLS cannulation. Secondary benefits are ease of multicenter collaboration in research, improved registry data quality, and clear communication among practitioners and researchers in the field.