Project description:BackgroundBacteria are frequently cultured from sputum samples of severe asthma patients suggesting a defect in bacterial clearance from the airway. We measured the capacity of macrophages from patients with asthma to phagocytose bacteria.MethodsPhagocytosis of fluorescently-labelled polystyrene beads, Haemophilus influenzae or Staphylococcus aureus by broncholaveolar lavage alveolar macrophages (AM) and by monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from non-asthmatics, mild-moderate and severe asthmatic patients was assessed using fluorimetry.ResultsThere were no differences in phagocytosis of polystyrene beads by AMs or MDMs from any of the subject groups. There was reduced phagocytosis of Haemophilus influenzae and Staphylococcus aureus in MDMs from patients with severe asthma compared to non-severe asthma (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) and healthy subjects (p < 0.01and p < 0.001, respectively). Phagocytosis of Haemophilus influenzae and Staphylococcus aureus by AM was also reduced in severe asthma compared to normal subjects (p < 0.05). Dexamethasone and formoterol did not suppress phagocytosis of bacteria by MDMs from any of the groups.ConclusionsPersistence of bacteria in the lower airways may result partly from a reduced phagocytic capacity of macrophages for bacteria. This may contribute to increased exacerbations, airway colonization and persistence of inflammation.
Project description:Human rhinovirus is the most frequently isolated virus during severe exacerbations of chronic respiratory diseases, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this disease, alveolar macrophages display significantly diminished phagocytic functions that could be associated with bacterial superinfections. However, how human rhinovirus affects the functions of macrophages is largely unknown. Macrophages treated with HRV16 demonstrate deficient bacteria killing activity, impaired phagolysosome biogenesis and altered intracellular compartments. Using RNA sequencing, we identify the small GTPase ARL5b to be upregulated by the virus in primary human macrophages. Importantly, depletion of ARL5b rescues bacterial clearance and localization of endosomal markers in macrophages upon HRV16 exposure. In permissive cells, depletion of ARL5b increases the secretion of HRV16 virions. Thus, we identify ARL5b as a novel regulator of intracellular trafficking dynamics and phagolysosomal biogenesis in macrophages and as a restriction factor of HRV16 in permissive cells.
Project description:RationaleRespiratory virus infections are associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, but a causative relationship has not been proven. Studies of naturally occurring exacerbations are difficult and the mechanisms linking virus infection to exacerbations are poorly understood. We hypothesized that experimental rhinovirus infection in subjects with COPD would reproduce the features of naturally occurring COPD exacerbations and is a valid model of COPD exacerbations.ObjectivesTo evaluate experimental rhinovirus infection as a model of COPD exacerbation and to investigate the mechanisms of virus-induced exacerbations.MethodsWe used experimental rhinovirus infection in 13 subjects with COPD and 13 nonobstructed control subjects to investigate clinical, physiologic, pathologic, and antiviral responses and relationships between virus load and these outcomes.Measurements and main resultsClinical data; inflammatory mediators in blood, sputum, and bronchoalveolar lavage; and viral load in nasal lavage, sputum, and bronchoalveolar lavage were measured at baseline and after infection with rhinovirus 16. After rhinovirus infection subjects with COPD developed lower respiratory symptoms, airflow obstruction, and systemic and airway inflammation that were greater and more prolonged compared with the control group. Neutrophil markers in sputum related to clinical outcomes and virus load correlated with inflammatory markers. Virus load was higher and IFN production by bronchoalveolar lavage cells was impaired in the subjects with COPD.ConclusionsWe have developed a new model of COPD exacerbation that strongly supports a causal relationship between rhinovirus infection and COPD exacerbations. Impaired IFN production and neutrophilic inflammation may be important mechanisms in virus-induced COPD exacerbations.
Project description:In elderly patients, bacterial infection often causes severe complications and sepsis. Compared to younger patients, older patients are more susceptible to sepsis caused by respiratory infection. Macrophage (Mϕ) phagocytosis of bacteria plays a critical role in the clearance of pathogens and the initiation of immune responses. It has been suggested that Mϕ exhibit age-related functional alterations, including reduced chemotaxis, phagocytosis, antibacterial defense, and the ability to generate reactive oxygen species. However, the mechanisms behind these changes remain unclear. The present study sought to determine changes in bacterial phagocytosis in aging alveolar Mϕ (AMϕ) and the underlying mechanisms. We show that bacteria initiate cytoskeleton remodeling in AMϕ through interaction with macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO), a bacterial scavenger receptor. This remodeling, in turn, promotes enhanced cell surface expression of MARCO and bacterial phagocytosis. We further demonstrate that Rac1-GTP mediates MARCO signaling and activates actin-related protein-2/3 complex, an F-actin nucleator, thereby inducing F-actin polymerization, filopodia formation, and increased cell surface expression of MARCO, all of which are essential for the execution of bacteria phagocytosis. However, AMϕ isolated from aging mice exhibit suppressed Rac1 mRNA and protein expression, which resulted in decreases in Rac1-GTP levels and actin-related protein-2/3 activation, as well as subsequent attenuation of F-actin polymerization, filopodia formation, and cell surface expression of MARCO. As a result, bacterial phagocytosis in aging AMϕ is decreased. This study highlights a previously unidentified mechanism by which aging impairs Mϕ phagocytosis of bacteria. Targeting these pathways may improve outcomes of bacterial infection in elderly patients.
Project description:Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health problem which had not received the attention commensurate with the magnitude of its global burden. This is finally changing with the help of a vibrant community of health-care professionals, public officials, and academic researchers. Advances in characterization of the disease, treatment options, imaging modalities, and better understanding of the comorbidities promise to revolutionize how the disease is managed. COPD should no longer augur despair among physicians and patients.
Project description:RationaleAirway inflammation is a central feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD exacerbations are often triggered by rhinovirus (RV) infection.ObjectivesWe hypothesized that airway epithelial cells from patients with COPD maintain a proinflammatory phenotype compared with control subjects, leading to greater RV responses.MethodsCells were isolated from tracheobronchial tissues of 12 patients with COPD and 10 transplant donors. Eight patients with COPD had severe emphysema, three had mild to moderate emphysema, and one had no emphysema. All had moderate to severe airflow obstruction, and six met criteria for chronic bronchitis or had at least one exacerbation the previous year. Cells were grown at air-liquid interface and infected with RV serotype 39. Cytokine and IFN expression was measured by ELISA. Selected genes involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, and proteolysis were assessed by focused gene array and real-time polymerase chain reaction.Measurements and main resultsCompared with control subjects, cells from patients with COPD demonstrated increased mRNA expression of genes involved in oxidative stress and the response to viral infection, including NOX1, DUOXA2, MMP12, ICAM1, DDX58/RIG-I, STAT1, and STAT2. COPD cells showed elevated baseline and RV-stimulated protein levels of IL-6, IL-8/CXCL8, and growth-related oncogene-alpha/CXCL1. COPD cells demonstrated increased viral titer and copy number after RV infection, despite increased IL-29/IFN-lambda1, IL-28A/IFN-lambda2, and IFN-inducible protein-10/CXCL10 protein levels. Finally, RV-infected COPD cultures showed increased mRNA expression of IL28A/IFNlambda2, IL29/IFNlambda1, IFIH1/MDA5, DDX58/RIG-I, DUOX1, DUOX2, IRF7, STAT1, and STAT2.ConclusionsAirway epithelial cells from patients with COPD show higher baseline levels of cytokine expression and increased susceptibility to RV infection, despite an increased IFN response.
Project description:The circadian clock regulates many aspects of immunity. Bacterial infections are affected by time of day, but the mechanisms involved remain undefined. Here we show that loss of the core clock protein BMAL1 in macrophages confers protection against pneumococcal pneumonia. RNAseq was performed on peritoneal macrophages from wild type and BMAL1 knock out mice.
Project description:The pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains poorly understood. Cellular senescence and apoptosis contribute to the development of COPD; however, crucial regulators of these underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that antagonizes both apoptosis and premature senescence and may be important in the pathogenesis of COPD. This study examines the role of MIF in the pathogenesis of COPD. Mice deficient in MIF (Mif(-/-)) or the MIF receptor CD74 (Cd74(-/-)) and wild-type (WT) controls were aged for 6 mo. Both Mif(-/-) and Cd74(-/-) mice developed spontaneous emphysema by 6 mo of age compared with WT mice as measured by lung volume and chord length. This was associated with activation of the senescent pathway markers p53/21 and p16. Following exposure to cigarette smoke, Mif(-/-) mice were more susceptible to the development of COPD and apoptosis compared with WT mice. MIF plasma concentrations were measured in a cohort of 224 human participants. Within a subgroup of older current and former smokers (n = 72), MIF concentrations were significantly lower in those with COPD [8.8, 95%CI (6.7-11.0)] compared with those who did not exhibit COPD [12.7 ng/ml, 95%CI (10.6-14.8)]. Our results suggest that both MIF and the MIF receptor CD74 are required for maintenance of normal alveolar structure in mice and that decreases in MIF are associated with COPD in human subjects.
Project description:Human rhinovirus (RV) is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma exacerbations. The exploration of RV pathogenesis has been hampered by a lack of disease-relevant model systems. We performed a detailed characterization of host responses to RV infection in human lung tissue ex vivo and investigated whether these responses are disease relevant for patients with COPD and asthma. In addition, impact of the viral replication inhibitor rupintrivir was evaluated. Human precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) were infected with RV1B with or without rupintrivir. At Days 1 and 3 after infection, RV tissue localization, tissue viability, and viral load were determined. To characterize host responses to infection, mediator and whole genome analyses were performed. RV successfully replicated in PCLS airway epithelial cells and induced both antiviral and proinflammatory cytokines such as IFNα2a, CXCL10, CXCL11, IFN-γ, TNFα, and CCL5. Genomic analyses revealed that RV not only induced antiviral immune responses but also triggered changes in epithelial cell-associated pathways. Strikingly, the RV response in PCLS was reflective of gene expression changes described in patients with COPD and asthma. Although RV-induced host immune responses were abrogated by rupintrivir, RV-triggered epithelial processes were largely refractory to antiviral treatment. Detailed analysis of RV-infected human PCLS and comparison with gene signatures of patients with COPD and asthma revealed that the human RV PCLS model represents disease-relevant biological mechanisms that can be partially inhibited by a well-known antiviral compound and provide an outstanding opportunity to evaluate novel therapeutics.