A Fragile Balance: Does Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation Drive Pulmonary Disease Progression?
Cells
; 10(8)2021 07 29.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1339532
ABSTRACT
Neutrophils act as the first line of defense during infection and inflammation. Once activated, they are able to fulfil numerous tasks to fight inflammatory insults while keeping a balanced immune response. Besides well-known functions, such as phagocytosis and degranulation, neutrophils are also able to release "neutrophil extracellular traps" (NETs). In response to most stimuli, the neutrophils release decondensed chromatin in a NADPH oxidase-dependent manner decorated with histones and granule proteins, such as neutrophil elastase, myeloperoxidase, and cathelicidins. Although primarily supposed to prevent microbial dissemination and fight infections, there is increasing evidence that an overwhelming NET response correlates with poor outcome in many diseases. Lung-related diseases especially, such as bacterial pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, aspergillosis, influenza, and COVID-19, are often affected by massive NET formation. Highly vascularized areas as in the lung are susceptible to immunothrombotic events promoted by chromatin fibers. Keeping this fragile equilibrium seems to be the key for an appropriate immune response. Therapies targeting dysregulated NET formation might positively influence many disease progressions. This review highlights recent findings on the pathophysiological influence of NET formation in different bacterial, viral, and non-infectious lung diseases and summarizes medical treatment strategies.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia
/
Extracellular Traps
/
Neutrophils
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Cells10081932
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS