Pollak N, Sterns T, Echtenacher B, Männel DN. Improved resistance to bacterial superinfection in mice by treatment with macrophage migration inhibitory factor.
Infect Immun 2005;
73:6488-92. [PMID:
16177321 PMCID:
PMC1230916 DOI:
10.1128/iai.73.10.6488-6492.2005]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nosocomial infections in immune-suppressed patients are a widespread problem in intensive care medicine. Such patients are highly susceptible to infections because their immune defenses are impaired and, therefore, unable to adequately combat invading microorganisms. To investigate the problem of sepsis-induced immune suppression, we used a model in which mice developed sublethal peritonitis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Two days after CLP mice were in an immune-suppressed state, as measured by impaired capacity to produce tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and enhanced susceptibility to bacterial infections. Since macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a critical mediator of septic shock by modulation of innate immune responses, the role of MIF in sepsis-induced immune suppression was analyzed. Neutralization of endogenous MIF further enhanced susceptibility to bacterial superinfection after CLP. Conversely, treatment with recombinant human MIF before the bacterial superinfection protected the animals. MIF treatment reconstituted the impaired capacity to produce proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF and interleukin-6. This study indicates that MIF might be able to ameliorate the sepsis-induced immune suppression by reenabling the organism to react adequately to a secondary bacterial challenge.
Collapse