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Airway Interleukin‐8 in Elderly Patients with Bacterial Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Author(s) -
Ponglertnapagorn Preecha,
Oishi Kazunori,
Iwagaki Akitaka,
Sonoda Fuminari,
Watanabe Kiwao,
Nagatake Tsuyoshi,
Matsushima Kouji,
Matsumoto Keizo
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1996.tb03322.x
Subject(s) - sputum , respiratory tract , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , respiratory tract infections , pseudomonas aeruginosa , immunology , respiratory system , sputum culture , monoclonal antibody , lipopolysaccharide , respiratory disease , cystic fibrosis , streptococcus pneumoniae , antibody , bacteria , antibiotics , lung , medicine , pathology , tuberculosis , genetics , anatomy
Abstract We investigated the interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) levels and neutrophil numbers in the sputum of 9 elderly patients with lower respiratory tract infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, before and after treatment with various antimicrobial agents. The IL‐8 levels in sputum supernatants and the neutrophil numbers in sputum smears from 9 patients decreased significantly after the elimination of the causative respiratory pathogens. We also demonstrated that human recombinant IL‐8 at a range of 6.25‐25 ng/ml significantly enhanced opsonophagocytic killing of P. aeruginosa immunotype‐1 strain by human neutrophils in the presence of a serotype‐specific anti‐lipopolysaccharide monoclonal antibody and fresh normal human serum. These data suggest that the level of IL‐8 production in the airways of patients with lower respiratory tract infections is dependent on bacterial densities, and indicate the important role of IL‐8 not only in neutrophil migration but also in opsonophagocytic killing of bacteria in the lower respiratory tract.