| 1. |
- Ali, Mohamad N., et al.
(författare)
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TFPI-2 protects against gram-negative bacterial infection
- 2018
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 9:SEP
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) has previously been characterized as an endogenous anticoagulant. TFPI-2 is expressed in the vast majority of cells, mainly secreted into the extracellular matrix. Recently we reported that EDC34, a C-terminal peptide derived from TFPI-2, exerts a broad antimicrobial activity. In the present study, we describe a previously unknown antimicrobial mode of action for the human TFPI-2 C-terminal peptide EDC34, mediated via binding to immunoglobulins of the classes IgG, IgA, IgE, and IgM. In particular the interaction of EDC34 with the Fc part of IgG is of importance since this boosts interaction between the immunoglobulin and complement factor C1q. Moreover, we find that the binding increases the C1q engagement of the antigen-antibody interaction, leading to enhanced activation of the classical complement pathway during bacterial infection. In experimental murine models of infection and endotoxin challenge, we show that TFPI-2 is up-regulated in several organs, including the lung. Correspondingly, TFPI-2-/- mice are more susceptible to pulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial infection. No anti-coagulant role of TFPI-2 was observed in these models in vivo. Furthermore, in vivo, the mouse TFPI-2-derived C-terminal peptide VKG24, a homolog to human EDC34 is protective against systemic Escherichia coli bacterial infection. Moreover, in sputum from cystic fibrosis patients TFPI-2 C-terminal fragments are generated and found associated with immunoglobulins. Together our data describe a previously unknown host defense mechanism and therapeutic importance of TFPI-2 against invading Gram-negative bacterial pathogens.
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| 2. |
- Bhongir, Ravi K. V., et al.
(författare)
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DNA-fragmentation is a source of bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- 2017
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Ingår i: Biochemical Journal. - 0264-6021. ; 474:3, s. 411-425
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa airway infection is common in cystic fibrosis (CF), a disease also characterized by abundant extracellular DNA (eDNA) in the airways. The eDNA is mainly derived from neutrophils accumulating in the airways and contributes to a high sputum viscosity. The altered environment in the lower airways also paves the way for chronic P. aeruginosa infection. Here, we show that mice with P. aeruginosa airway infection have increased survival and decreased bacterial load after topical treatment with DNase. Furthermore, DNA from the sputum of CF patients showed increased bactericidal activity after treatment with DNase ex vivo. Both degraded DNA of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and genomic DNA degraded by serum, acquired bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa. In vitro, small synthetic DNA-fragments (<100 base pairs) but not large fragments nor genomic DNA, were bactericidal against Gram-negative but not Grampositive bacteria. The addition of divalent cations reduced bacterial killing, suggesting that chelation of divalent cations by DNA results in destabilization of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) envelope. This is a novel antibacterial strategy where fragmentation of eDNA and DNA-fragments can be used to treat P. aeruginosa airway infection.
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| 3. |
- Jakobsson, Gabriel, et al.
(författare)
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Therapeutic S100A8/A9 blockade inhibits myocardial and systemic inflammation and mitigates sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction
- 2023
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Ingår i: Critical Care. - : BMC. - 1364-8535 .- 1466-609X. ; 27, s. 1-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Aims: The triggering factors of sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SIMD) are poorly understood and are not addressed by current treatments. S100A8/A9 is a pro-inflammatory alarmin abundantly secreted by activated neutrophils during infection and inflammation. We investigated the efficacy of S100A8/A9 blockade as a potential new treatment in SIMD. Methods: The relationship between plasma S100A8/A9 and cardiac dysfunction was assessed in a cohort of 62 patients with severe sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit of Linköping University Hospital, Sweden. We used S100A8/A9 blockade with the small-molecule inhibitor ABR-238901 and S100A9−/− mice for therapeutic and mechanistic studies on endotoxemia-induced cardiac dysfunction in mice. Results: In sepsis patients, elevated plasma S100A8/A9 was associated with left-ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction and increased SOFA score. In wild-type mice, 5 mg/kg of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced rapid plasma S100A8/A9 increase and acute LV dysfunction. Two ABR-238901 doses (30 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally with a 6 h interval, starting directly after LPS or at a later time-point when LV dysfunction is fully established, efficiently prevented and reversed the phenotype, respectively. In contrast, dexamethasone did not improve cardiac function compared to PBS-treated endotoxemic controls. S100A8/A9 inhibition potently reduced systemic levels of inflammatory mediators, prevented upregulation of inflammatory genes and restored mitochondrial function in the myocardium. The S100A9−/− mice were protected against LPS-induced LV dysfunction to an extent comparable with pharmacologic S100A8/A9 blockade. The ABR-238901 treatment did not induce an additional improvement of LV function in the S100A9−/− mice, confirming target specificity. Conclusion: Elevated S100A8/A9 is associated with the development of LV dysfunction in severe sepsis patients and in a mouse model of endotoxemia. Pharmacological blockade of S100A8/A9 with ABR-238901 has potent anti-inflammatory effects, mitigates myocardial dysfunction and might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with severe sepsis. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].
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| 4. |
- Kalle, Martina, et al.
(författare)
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A Peptide of Heparin Cofactor II Inhibits Endotoxin-Mediated Shock and Invasive Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection.
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sepsis and septic shock remain important medical problems with high mortality rates. Today's treatment is based mainly on using antibiotics to target the bacteria, without addressing the systemic inflammatory response, which is a major contributor to mortality in sepsis. Therefore, novel treatment options are urgently needed to counteract these complex sepsis pathologies. Heparin cofactor II (HCII) has recently been shown to be protective against Gram-negative infections. The antimicrobial effects were mapped to helices A and D of the molecule. Here we show that KYE28, a 28 amino acid long peptide representing helix D of HCII, is antimicrobial against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as the fungus Candida albicans. Moreover, KYE28 binds to LPS and thereby reduces LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses by decreasing NF-κB/AP-1 activation in vitro. In mouse models of LPS-induced shock, KYE28 significantly enhanced survival by dampening the pro-inflammatory cytokine response. Finally, in an invasive Pseudomonas infection model, the peptide inhibited bacterial growth and reduced the pro-inflammatory response, which lead to a significant reduction of mortality. In summary, the peptide KYE28, by simultaneously targeting bacteria and LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses represents a novel therapeutic candidate for invasive infections.
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| 5. |
- Kalle, Martina, et al.
(författare)
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Host Defense Peptides of Thrombin Modulate Inflammation and Coagulation in Endotoxin-Mediated Shock and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Sepsis.
- 2012
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gram-negative sepsis is accompanied by a disproportionate innate immune response and excessive coagulation mainly induced by endotoxins released from bacteria. Due to rising antibiotic resistance and current lack of other effective treatments there is an urgent need for new therapies. We here present a new treatment concept for sepsis and endotoxin-mediated shock, based on host defense peptides from the C-terminal part of human thrombin, found to have a broad and inhibitory effect on multiple sepsis pathologies. Thus, the peptides abrogate pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to endotoxin in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, they interfere with coagulation by modulating contact activation and tissue factor-mediated clotting in vitro, leading to normalization of coagulation responses in vivo, a previously unknown function of host defense peptides. In a mouse model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis, the peptide GKY25, while mediating a modest antimicrobial effect, significantly inhibited the pro-inflammatory response, decreased fibrin deposition and leakage in the lungs, as well as reduced mortality. Taken together, the capacity of such thrombin-derived peptides to simultaneously modulate bacterial levels, pro-inflammatory responses, and coagulation, renders them attractive therapeutic candidates for the treatment of invasive infections and sepsis.
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| 6. |
- Kalle, Martina, et al.
(författare)
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Proteolytic Activation Transforms Heparin Cofactor II into a Host Defense Molecule
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 0022-1767 .- 1550-6606. ; 190:12, s. 6303-6310
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The abundant serine proteinase inhibitor heparin cofactor II (HCII) has been proposed to inhibit extravascular thrombin. However, the exact physiological role of this plasma protein remains enigmatic. In this study, we demonstrate a previously unknown role for HCII in host defense. Proteolytic cleavage of the molecule induced a conformational change, thereby inducing endotoxin-binding and antimicrobial properties. Analyses employing representative peptide epitopes mapped these effects to helices A and D. Mice deficient in HCII showed increased susceptibility to invasive infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, along with a significantly increased cytokine response. Correspondingly, decreased levels of HCII were observed in wild-type animals challenged with bacteria or endotoxin. In humans, proteolytically cleaved HCII forms were detected during wounding and in association with bacteria. Thus, the protease-induced uncovering of cryptic epitopes in HCII, which transforms the molecule into a host defense factor, represents a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in HCII biology and innate immunity.
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| 7. |
- Kasetty, Gopinath, et al.
(författare)
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Osteopontin protects against lung injury caused by extracellular histones
- 2019
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Ingår i: Mucosal Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1933-0219 .- 1935-3456. ; 12:1, s. 39-50
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Extracellular histones are present in the airways because of cell death occurring during inflammation. They promote inflammation and cause tissue damage due to their cationic nature. The anionic phosphoglycoprotein osteopontin (OPN) is expressed at high levels during airway inflammation and has been ascribed both pro- and anti-inflammatory roles. In this study, it was hypothesized that OPN may neutralize the harmful activities of extracellular histones at the airway mucosal surface. In a model of histone-induced acute lung injury, OPN−/− mice showed increased inflammation and tissue injury, and succumbed within 24 h, whereas wild-type mice showed lower degrees of inflammation and no mortality. In lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury, wild-type mice showed less inflammation and tissue injury than OPN−/− mice. In bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from ARDS patients, high levels of OPN and also histone–OPN complexes were detected. In addition, OPN bound to histones with high affinity in vitro, resulting in less cytotoxicity and reduced formation of tissue-damaging neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). The interaction between OPN and histones was dependent on posttranslational modification of OPN, i.e., phosphorylation. The findings demonstrate a novel role for OPN, modulating the pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties of free histones.
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| 8. |
- Kasetty, Gopinath, et al.
(författare)
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Osteopontin protects against pneumococcal infection in a murine model of allergic airway inflammation
- 2019
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Ingår i: Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0105-4538. ; 74:4, s. 663-674
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In atopic asthma, chronic Th2-biased inflammation is associated with an increased risk of pneumococcal infection. The anionic phosphoglycoprotein osteopontin (OPN) is highly expressed in asthma and has been ascribed several roles during inflammation. This study aimed to investigate whether OPN affects inflammation and vulnerability to pneumococcal infection in atopic asthma. Methods: House dust mite (HDM) extract was used to induce allergic airway inflammation in both wild-type (Spp1+/+) and OPN knockout (Spp1−/−) C57BL/6J mice, and the airway was then infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Parameters reflecting inflammation, tissue injury, and bacterial burden were measured. In addition, samples from humans with allergic asthma were analyzed. Results: Both allergen challenge in individuals with allergic asthma and the intranasal instillation of HDM in mice resulted in increased OPN levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). More immune cells (including alveolar macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, and lymphocytes) and higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines were found in Spp1−/− mice than in Spp1+/+ mice. Moreover, OPN-deficient mice exhibited increased levels of markers reflecting tissue injury. Upon infection with S. pneumoniae, Spp1+/+ mice with allergic airway inflammation had a significantly lower bacterial burden in both BALF and lung tissue than did Spp1−/− mice. Furthermore, Spp1−/− mice had higher levels of cytokines and immune cells in BALF than did Spp1+/+ mice. Conclusion: OPN reduces inflammation, decreases tissue injury, and reduces bacterial loads during concurrent pneumococcal infection and allergic airway inflammation in a murine model. These findings suggest that OPN significantly affects vulnerability to pneumococcal infection in atopic asthma.
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| 9. |
- Kasetty, Gopinath, et al.
(författare)
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Roflumilast increases bacterial load and dissemination in a model of Pseudomononas aeruginosa airway infection
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. - : American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). - 1521-0103. ; 357:1, s. 66-72
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Exacerbations present a major clinical problem in many patients suffering from COPD. Roflumilast, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4, has beneficial effects in several clinical trials and is currently widely used to prevent exacerbations in severe COPD. Roflumilast has anti-inflammatory properties that may interfere with potentially important host defense functions, including cytotoxic properties of neutrophils at sites of inflammation. Since chronic bacterial infection are prevalent in severe COPD, Pseudomonas aeruginosa being a major pathogen, we hypothesized that this drug could impair host defense against P. aeruginosa. In this study, mice were pretreated with vehicle alone or roflumilast at doses of 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg followed by instillation of P. aeruginosa in the airways. Bacterial load and dissemination as well as inflammatory markers and immune cells present in the airways were followed. Roflumilast increased mortality, bacterial load and dissemination in mice infected with P. aeruginosa. In addition, roflumilast-treated mice had significantly lower number of neutrophils in the bronchi but not in the lung tissue airways compared with untreated mice. Several proinflammatory cytokines decreased in roflumilast-treated mice but neither the neutrophil-recruiting chemokine KC nor IL-6. The findings show that roflumilast-treatment impair host defense against P. aeruginosa in the airways. This may imply that patients suffering from chronic bacterial infection of the airways could benefit from being withheld treatment with roflumilast.
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| 10. |
- Kasetty, Gopinath, et al.
(författare)
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Structure-Activity Studies and Therapeutic Potential of Host Defense Peptides of Human Thrombin
- 2011
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Ingår i: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. - 0066-4804 .- 1098-6596. ; 55:6, s. 2880-2890
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Peptides of the C-terminal region of human thrombin are released upon proteolysis and identified in human wounds. In this study, we wanted to investigate minimal determinants, as well as structural features, governing the antimicrobial and immunomodulating activity of this peptide region. Sequential amino acid deletions of the peptide GKYGFYTHVFRLKKWIQKVIDQFGE (GKY25), as well as substitutions at strategic and structurally relevant positions, were followed by analyses of antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, and the fungus Candida albicans. Furthermore, peptide effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-, lipoteichoic acid-, or zymosan-induced macrophage activation were studied. The thrombin-derived peptides displayed length-and sequence-dependent antimicrobial as well as immunomodulating effects. A peptide length of at least 20 amino acids was required for effective anti-inflammatory effects in macrophage models, as well as optimal antimicrobial activity as judged by MIC assays. However, shorter (> 12 amino acids) variants also displayed significant antimicrobial effects. A central K14 residue was important for optimal antimicrobial activity. Finally, one peptide variant, GKYGFYTHVFRLKKWIQKVI (GKY20) exhibiting improved selectivity, i.e., low toxicity and a preserved antimicrobial as well as anti-inflammatory effect, showed efficiency in mouse models of LPS shock and P. aeruginosa sepsis. The work defines structure-activity relationships of C-terminal host defense peptides of thrombin and delineates a strategy for selecting peptide epitopes of therapeutic interest.
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