Jump to full article: New Kerala.com (in), 2009-10-24
Intro: Exposure to cigarette smoke might weaken immune cells' ability to remove bacterial infections from the lungs, specifically nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), a pathogen often associated with respiratory infections and the progression of respiratory disease, says a new study.
NTHI has been found to cause invasive diseases such as meningitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
It is also the pathogen most frequently isolated in the respiratory tract of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis.
Alveolar macrophages are part of the lungs'' innate defense system and they play an essential role in the clearance of bacterial infections.
The research team has found that cigarette smoke may disrupt the capability of alveolar macrophages to clear NTHI from the lungs.
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The study appears in journal Infection and Immunity.
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