IMR Press / FBE / Volume 4 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.2741/e406

Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite (FBE) is published by IMR Press from Volume 13 Issue 2 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Review

SP-A and SP-D in host defense against fungal infections and allergies

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1 National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India
2 Centre for Infection, Immunity and Disease Mechanisms, Biosciences, School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University, London, UK

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

 

Front. Biosci. (Elite Ed) 2012, 4(2), 651–661; https://doi.org/10.2741/e406
Published: 1 January 2012
Abstract

Innate immunity mediated by pattern recognition proteins is relevant in the host defense against fungi. SP-A and SPD are two such proteins belonging to the class of collagen domain containing C-type lectins, or collectins. They bind to the sugar moieties present on the cell walls of various fungi in a dose dependent manner via their carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). SP-A and SP-D directly interact with alveolar macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes. We review these roles of SP-A and SP-D against various clinically relevant fungal pathogens and fungal allergens. SP-A and SP-D gene deficient mice showed increased susceptibility/ resistance to various fungal infections. Patients of fungal infections and allergies are reported with alterations in the serum or lung lavage levels of SP-A and SP-D. There are studies associating the gene polymorphisms in SP-A and SP-D with alterations in their levels or functions or susceptibility of the host to fungal diseases. In view of the protective role of SP-D in murine models of Aspergillus fumigatus infections and allergies, therapeutic use of SP-D could be explored further.

Keywords
SP-A
SP-D
collectins
host defense
A. fumigatus
fungal infection
interaction
innate immune system
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