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Published on: February 23, 2014
Osteopontin impairs host defense during pneumococcal pneumonia
Gerritje J W van der Windt1, Arie J Hoogendijk, Marcel Schouten
1Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|May 25, 2011
Summary
Osteopontin aids Streptococcus pneumoniae growth in pneumonia, prolonging survival in mice lacking the protein. This suggests the bacteria exploit osteopontin for invasive disease.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Pulmonary Medicine
Background:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia.
- Osteopontin plays a role in innate and adaptive immune responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of osteopontin in host defense during pneumococcal pneumonia.
- To elucidate the mechanisms by which osteopontin influences pneumococcal infection outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Intranasal infection of osteopontin knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice with Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- Assessment of survival rates, bacterial load, dissemination, and pulmonary inflammation markers.
Main Results:
- Osteopontin knockout mice exhibited prolonged survival, reduced bacterial growth, and decreased dissemination compared to WT mice.
- Pulmonary inflammation, including inflammation scores and chemokine concentrations, was lower in osteopontin KO mice.
- Osteopontin deficiency did not affect bacterial growth in direct sepsis, indicating a specific role in pulmonary defense.
- Recombinant osteopontin enhanced bacterial viability in vitro.
Conclusions:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae appears to utilize osteopontin in the airways to promote its growth and facilitate invasive disease.
- Targeting osteopontin may represent a therapeutic strategy to combat pneumococcal pneumonia.
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