Vol.67 No.2 March 2019
Inflammatory changes in respiratory tract infections and therapeutic strategies
The Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka City, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
Pathogen-related factors such as endotoxins stimulate host cells to produce active molecules, including inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and activate innate immunity and inflammation as important host defense mechanisms. However, excess inflammatory responses could result in serious tissue damage and lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome. A number of anti-inflammatory agents have been studied to ameliorate excessive inflammation, but even corticosteroids have shown little clinical usefulness. Macrolides have been established as anti-inflammatory, therapeutic drugs for diffuse panbronchiolitis, and recently have attracted attention as effective treatment agents to improve the outcomes in patients with severe pneumonia. From the viewpoints of the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), development of macrolides with anti-inflammatory activity, but no antimicrobial activity should be urgently pursued.
Key word
pneumonia, inflammation, macrolide, anti-inflammatory drug
Received
September 13, 2018
Accepted
October 19, 2018
Jpn. J. Chemother. 67 (2): 161-168, 2019
