Local Defence System in Healthy Lungs
Elizabeta Lohova1, Zane Vitenberga-Verza1, Dzintra Kazoka1
1Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology, Riga Stradins University, LV-1010 Riga, Latvia.
Clinics and Practice
|October 26, 2021
Summary
Healthy lung tissues show baseline antimicrobial protein and IL-17A synthesis, particularly in cartilage and alveolar cells. These factors cooperate to provide innate lung defense against infection.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary immunology
- Innate immunity
- Respiratory medicine
Background:
- The respiratory system serves as a primary route for pathogen entry.
- Understanding innate defense mechanisms in the lung is crucial for host protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the expression of specific mucosal pro-inflammatory and antimicrobial factors in healthy human lung tissue.
- To investigate these factors from an ontogenetic perspective.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of healthy lung tissues from 15 adult patients (18-86 years old).
- Immunohistochemistry was used to detect human β defensin 2 (HBD-2), HBD-3, HBD-4, cathelicidine (LL-37), and interleukine 17A (IL-17A).
Main Results:
- No inflammatory histological changes were observed in the analyzed lung tissues.
- Statistically significant differences in the expression of antimicrobial factors and IL-17A were found across various lung tissue structures.
Conclusions:
- Healthy lung structures, notably cartilage, alveolar epithelium, and alveolar macrophages, are key sites for baseline antimicrobial protein and IL-17A synthesis.
- Lung cartilage exhibits functional plasticity and contributes to local lung defense.
- Interrelated expression patterns suggest synergistic cooperation among these factors in healthy lung host defense.
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