Sustained desensitization to bacterial Toll-like receptor ligands after resolution of respiratory influenza infection.

ABSTRACT: The World Health Organization estimates that lower respiratory tract infections (excluding tuberculosis) account for approximately 35% of all deaths caused by infectious diseases. In many cases, the cause of death may be caused by multiple pathogens, e.g., the life-threatening bacterial pneumonia observed in patients infected with influenza virus. The ability to evolve more efficient immunity on each successive encounter with antigen is the hallmark of the adaptive immune response. However, in the absence of cross-reactive T and B cell epitopes, one lung infection can modify immunity and pathology to the next for extended periods of time. We now report for the first time that this phenomenon is mediated by a sustained desensitization of lung sentinel cells to Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligan

SUBMITTER: Didierlaurent A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2271005 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature