Lupus-linked immune misdirection could leave patients vulnerable to staph infections
Microbiology researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have discovered why patients with the autoimmune disease lupus are susceptible to serious bacterial infections. Their new study published in Cell Press Blue shows that lupus-associated inflammatory signals can reprogram white blood cells, rendering them less effective against Staphylococcus aureus infection. Instead of…
Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have uncovered why patients with lupus, an autoimmune disease, are more prone to severe bacterial infections. Their study, published in Cell Press Blue, reveals that lupus-related inflammatory signals can reprogram white blood cells, specifically neutrophils, making them less effective at combating Staphylococcus aureus.
Normally, neutrophils produce powerful antibacterial responses, but in lupus patients, they shift towards a weaker form of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) response. Assistant professor Andrew Monteith explained that the immune system remains highly active but the response is misdirected, potentially weakening bacterial defense.
The disease impairs the ability to sense lactate from bacteria, which normally triggers vital NET release. In collaboration with clinicians at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Monteith's lab found that existing lupus treatments like hydroxychloroquine and the antibody anifrolumab can restore the neutrophils' NET response, which is more effective at killing bacteria.
However, the researchers did not directly assess whether these therapies improve Staphylococcus aureus infection outcomes in patients. The next step is to determine if similar immune misdirection occurs in other infections and if there are ways to restore optimal neutrophil function without exacerbating autoimmune inflammation.
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