MRSA Pneumonia Causes Body to Shed Molecule that Inhibits Body's Antimicrobial Activity

Article title: Bacterial pneumonia-induced shedding of epithelial heparan sulfate inhibits the bactericidal activity of cathelicidin in a murine model

Authors: Evan P. Zehr, Christopher L. Erzen, Kaori Oshima, Christophe J. Langouët-Astrié, Wells B. LaRiviere, Deling Shi, Fuming Zhang, Bruce D. McCollister, Samuel L. Windham, Alicia N. Rizzo, Julie A. Bastarache, Alexander R. Horswill, Eric P. Schmidt, Jakub M. Kwiecinski, and James F. Colbert

From the authors: “Primary Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia causes pulmonary epithelial heparan sulfate (HS) shedding into the airspace. These highly sulfated HS fragments do not alter bacterial growth or transcription, but directly bind with host antimicrobial peptides and inhibit the bactericidal activity of these cationic polypeptides.”

This study is highlighted as one of February’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society's APSselect program.