Interleukin 17A promotes pneumococcal clearance by recruiting neutrophils and inducing apoptosis through a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent mechanism in acute otitis media.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive and human-restricted pathogen colonizing the nasopharynx with an absence of clinical symptoms as well as a major pathogen causing otitis media (OM), one of the most common childhood infections. Upon bacterial infection, neutrophils are rapidly activated and recruited to the infected site, acting as the frontline defender against emerging microbial pathogens via different ways. Evidence shows that interleukin 17A (IL-17A), a neutrophil-inducing factor, plays important roles in the immune responses in several diseases. However, its function in response to S. pneumoniae OM remains unclear. In this study, the function of IL-17A in response to S. pneumoniae OM was examined using an in vivo model. We developed a model of acute OM (AOM) in C57BL/6 mice

SUBMITTER: Wang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4019148 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature