| First Author | LeVine AM | Year | 1997 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 158 |
| Issue | 9 | Pages | 4336-40 |
| PubMed ID | 9126996 | Mgi Jnum | J:110382 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3640137 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.158.9.4336 |
| Citation | LeVine AM, et al. (1997) Surfactant protein A-deficient mice are susceptible to group B streptococcal infection. J Immunol 158(9):4336-40 |
| abstractText | To determine the role of surfactant protein A (SP-A) in host defense, the murine SP-A locus was targeted by homologous recombination to produce mice lacking SP-A. SP-A -/- and control mice were infected with group B streptococcus (GBS) by intratracheal instillation. Pulmonary infiltration 6 and 24 h following infection was more severe in SP-A -/- than in control mice, and was associated with increased numbers of GBS in lung homogenates. Dissemination of GBS to the spleen was observed more frequently in SP-A -/- mice. Pulmonary infiltration with macrophages was similar in both groups; however, the number of bacteria associated with alveolar macrophages was decreased in the SP-A-deficient mice. There was no detectable compensatory increase in surfactant protein D, the other known pulmonary collectin, in response to GBS instillation. SP-A plays an important role in vivo, enhancing clearance of GBS from the lung and inhibiting systemic dissemination of the organism. |
