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Innate immunity in the human lung: pathogen recognition and lung disease

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Abstract

As the human lung is exposed to a variety of microbial pathogens in the environment, a first line of defense is built up by pulmonary cells like bronchial/alveolar epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. These cells express several pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) recognizing highly conserved microbial motifs and initiating the production of chemokines and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines acting as transmembrane or intracellular receptors. This might not only lead to acute but also to chronic inflammation which is discussed as an underlying mechanism in the pathogenesis of different lung diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Clinic III, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, 23538, Lübeck, Germany

    Kristina Rohmann & Daniel Drömann

  2. Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty of the Saarland University, Campus Homburg, Germany

    Thomas Tschernig

  3. Centre of Anatomy, Immunomorphology, Medical School Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Reinhard Pabst

  4. Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Research Center Borstel, 23845, Borstel, Germany

    Thorsten Goldmann

Authors
  1. Kristina Rohmann
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  2. Thomas Tschernig
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  3. Reinhard Pabst
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  4. Thorsten Goldmann
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  5. Daniel Drömann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Tschernig.

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Rohmann, K., Tschernig, T., Pabst, R. et al. Innate immunity in the human lung: pathogen recognition and lung disease. Cell Tissue Res 343, 167–174 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-010-1048-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-010-1048-7

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