Abstract

Corticosteroid-immunosuppressed animals and AIDS patients share a remarkable susceptibility to pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii (PC). Such susceptibility may be due to a decrease in production or secretion of microbicidal mediators in the lung. The microbicidal substances of lung phagocytes (superoxide anion, H2O2, lysozyme, cationic peptides) will be quantitated in normal and corticosteroid-immunosuppressed rabbits. The microbicidal activity of such substances against PC will be measured using the cessation of radiolabeled precursor uptake and lysosomotrophic dye uptake by PC as an index of their loss of viability. The modulation of the levels of microbicidal substances by lymphokines or other materials present in lung secretions will be explored.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI021931-03
Application #
3132444
Study Section
(SSS)
Project Start
1984-09-30
Project End
1987-08-31
Budget Start
1986-09-01
Budget End
1987-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
119132785
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095