Abstract
Neutrophils are an important cell type often considered the body's first responders to inflammatory insult or damage. They are recruited to the tissue of the lungs in patients with inflammatory airspace diseases and have unique and complex functions that range from helpful to harmful. The uniqueness of these functions is due to the heterogeneity of the inflammatory cascade and retention in the vasculature. Neutrophils are known to marginate, or remain stagnant, in the lungs even in nondisease conditions. This review discusses the ways in which the recruitment, presence, and function of neutrophils in the airspace of the lungs are unique from those of other tissues, and the complex effects of neutrophils on pathogenesis. Inflammatory mediators produced by neutrophils, such as neutrophil elastase, proresolving mediators, and neutrophil extracellular traps, dramatically affect the outcomes of patients with disease of the lungs.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 628-636 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | American Journal of Pathology |
| Volume | 194 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2024 |
Funding
Grant numbers and sources of support: This work was supported by the US National Institutes of Health through grant R35 HL155652 to WAM. We\u2019d also like to thank NU Galter Health Sciences librarian Pamela L. Shaw for help with conceptualizing this literature review.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine