Dysregulation in lung immunity - the protective and pathologic Th17 response in infection

Th17 cytokines can play both protective and pathologic roles in the airways. An emerging theme in Th17 cytokine biology is that these responses can mediate tissue pathology when downstream effector cells are dysfunctional, such as neutrophils lacking functional NADPH oxidase in the case of chronic granulomatous disease, or epithelial cells lacking appropriate ion transport as in the case of cystic fibrosis. In this Mini-Review we highlight recent advances in the protective and pathologic roles of Th17 cytokines in the context of infection at the pulmonary barrier.