CCAAT-enhancer binding protein delta (C/EBPδ) protects against Klebsiella pneumoniae-induced pulmonary infection: potential role for macrophage migration

J Infect Dis. 2012 Dec 15;206(12):1826-35. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jis615. Epub 2012 Nov 12.

Abstract

Mounting evidence suggests an important role for CCAAT-enhancer binding protein delta (C/EBPδ) in the acute-phase response after bacterial infection. However, whether C/EBPδ limits pneumonia remains elusive and is the aim of this study. Therefore, bacterial outgrowth, inflammatory responses, inflammatory cell influx, and survival were assessed in wild-type and C/EBPδ(-/-) mice infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae via the airways. We showed that C/EBPδ expression is highly induced in the lung during pulmonary infection and that Klebsiella-induced mortality was significantly increased among C/EBPδ(-/-) mice. Bacterial loads and inflammatory responses were similar in wild-type and C/EBPδ(-/-) mice early during infection, whereas bacterial loads were increased in C/EBPδ(-/-) mice later during infection. Moreover, macrophage numbers were reduced in lungs of C/EBPδ(-/-) mice. In vitro experiments showed that C/EBPδ only slightly affects macrophage function. Our data thus show that C/EBPδ contributes to host defense against Klebsiella-induced pneumonia and suggests that C/EBPδ-dependent macrophage mobilization is a key mechanism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Load
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta / metabolism*
  • Cell Movement*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Klebsiella Infections / immunology*
  • Klebsiella Infections / pathology
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / immunology
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / pathogenicity*
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Lung / pathology
  • Macrophages / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / immunology*
  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / pathology
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta