Division of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, SE-22184 Lund, Sweden.
Microbes Infect. 2013 Sep-Oct;15(10-11):669-76. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.05.003. Epub 2013 May 25.
Platelets have been reported to contribute to inflammation and inflammatory disorders. In the present study, we demonstrate that platelets contribute to the acute response to bacterial infection in a mouse model of invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infection. Thrombocytopenia occurred rapidly in infected animals and this was associated with platelet activation, formation of platelet-neutrophil complexes and neutrophil activation. In order to assess the role of platelets during infection, platelets were depleted prior to infection. Platelet-depleted animals had significantly decreased platelet-neutrophil complex formation and neutrophil activation in response to infection. Importantly, significantly fewer bacteria disseminated to the blood, lungs, and spleen of platelet-depleted animals. Platelet-depleted animals did not decrease as significantly in weight as the infected control animals. The results demonstrate a previously unappreciated role for platelets during the pathophysiological response to infection, whereby S. pyogenes bacteria bind to platelets and platelets facilitate bacterial dissemination.
已有研究报道血小板参与炎症和炎症性疾病的发生发展。本研究中，我们在侵袭性化脓性链球菌感染的小鼠模型中证实，血小板参与细菌感染的急性反应。感染动物中迅速发生血小板减少，与血小板活化、血小板-中性粒细胞复合物形成和中性粒细胞活化有关。为了评估血小板在感染过程中的作用，我们在感染前对血小板进行了耗竭。与感染对照组相比，血小板耗竭动物的血小板-中性粒细胞复合物形成和中性粒细胞活化明显减少。重要的是，血小板耗竭动物血液、肺和脾中的细菌播散明显减少。血小板耗竭动物的体重下降程度不如感染对照组显著。这些结果表明，血小板在感染的病理生理反应中具有以前未被认识到的作用，化脓性链球菌细菌与血小板结合，而血小板促进细菌播散。
