Communications Biology (Aug 2021)

Pulmonary immune cell trafficking promotes host defense against alcohol-associated Klebsiella pneumonia

  • Derrick R. Samuelson,
  • Min Gu,
  • Judd E. Shellito,
  • Patricia E. Molina,
  • Christopher M. Taylor,
  • Meng Luo,
  • David A. Welsh

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02524-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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Samuelson et al show that alcohol impairs the production/processing of microbial metabolites, specifically tryptophan catabolites, resulting in immune dysregulation and impaired cellular trafficking for optimal host defense. The metabolite, indole, or probiotics making indole metabolites mitigate alcohol-induced susceptibility to Klebsiella-associated pneumonia, and that the mechanisms are partially dependent on AhR.