Dysbiotic gut fungi exacerbate Klebsiella pneumoniae lung infection via Dectin-1-mediated alveolar macrophage hyperactivation.

ABSTRACT: Escalating antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae underscores the urgent need for therapeutic strategies. Whereas gut bacterial dysbiosis exacerbates pulmonary infections, the role of gut fungi in modulating lung immunity remains understudied. Here, we demonstrate that antibiotic-induced gut fungal expansion aggravates pneumonia by enhancing alveolar macrophage-driven inflammation via Dectin-1 signaling. Clinical analyses demonstrated that pneumonia patients receiving ineffective prehospital antibiotic therapy showed gut bacterial depletion accompanied by fungal overgrowth (primarily Candida spp.), with a positive correlation observed between fungal abundance and hospitalization duration. In murine models, antibiotic-induced gut microbiota disruption promoted fungal proliferation,

SUBMITTER: He S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12422099 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature