Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells: role in the diagnosis of lung infections

Richeldi, L., Mariani, M., Losi, M., Maselli, F., Corbetta, L., Buonsanti, C., Colonna, M., Sinigaglia, F., Panina-Bordignon, P. and Fabbri, L.M. (2004) Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells: role in the diagnosis of lung infections. European Respiratory Journal, 24 (2), 247-50. (doi:10.1183/09031936.04.00014204). (PMID:15332392)

Abstract

The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)-1 is a recently described molecule, which plays an important role in myeloid cell-activated inflammatory responses. TREM-1 is expressed on blood neutrophils and monocytes, and also on alveolar macrophages, thus suggesting a potential role in lung inflammatory responses against infections. To investigate the differential expression of TREM-1 in lung infections, its levels were assessed in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from patients with community-acquired pneumonia or tuberculosis. TREM-1 was also investigated in patients with interstitial lung diseases, as a model of noninfectious inflammatory disease of the lung. TREM-1 expression was significantly increased in lung neutrophils and in lung macrophages of patients with pneumonia (n=7; 387.9+/-61.4 and 660.5+/-18.3, respectively) compared with patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (n=7; 59.2+/-13.1 and 80.6+/-291.2) and patients with interstitial lung diseases (n=10; 91.8+/-23.3 and 123.9+/-22.8). In contrast, TREM-1 expression on peripheral blood neutrophils was no different among the three groups. In conclusion, these data suggest that triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 is selectively expressed in the lungs of patients with pneumonia caused by extracellular bacteria and not in patients with tuberculosis, providing a potential marker for differential diagnosis.

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