Mediators of Pulmonary Host Defense

Chemokines are a family of small, structurally related molecules that play a fundamental role in the development, homeostasis, and function of the immune system (overview provided in Chap. 1). Four closely related subfamilies of chemokines have now been characterized (13,14). Of these, members of two subfamilies in particular have definitively been shown to participate in pulmonary antimicrobial host responses. The ELR+ CXC chemokine family members, which includes CXCLl-8 and CXCL15, have predominant neutrophil stimulatory and chemotactic activities, whereas the ELR CXC chemokines and CC chemokine family exerts predominant chemotactic and/or activating effects on macrophages, specific T cell populations, and/or eosinophils (14). Several lines of evidence would suggest that CXC and CC chemokines represent integral components of antimicrobial host defense. First, the well characterized in vitro and in vivo leuko- 

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Parapneumonic effusion Fungal IL-8/CXCL8, MCP-1/CCL2, MIP-la/CCL3 

Role of CXC Chemokines/Receptors in Lung Antimicrobial Host Defense 

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