People deficient in zinc may be at higher risk of infection with the bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii, a leading cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
- Zinc-deficient mice have significantly greater Acinetobacter baumannii burden in the lungs, spread of bacteria to the spleen, and higher mortality.
- During infection, zinc-deficient animals produce more pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-13.
- In rodents, neutralization of IL-13 helped prevent mortality from pulmonary infection by the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii.
“Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria”, Acinetobacter baumannii can be responsible for severe infections, particularly in weakened adults, according to Public health France. She “is a leading cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia and poses a serious threat to public health due to increasing rates of multidrug resistance,” reported researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago (United States). Since the “dietary zinc deficiency, from which nearly 20% of the world population suffers, is a major risk factor for pneumonia”, they really wanted to know if and how a lack of zinc contributes to the pathogenesis of Acinetobacter baumannii.
Blocking IL-13 prevents infection-related death in zinc-deficient mice
To carry out the work, published in the journal Nature Microbiologyestablished a mouse model of dietary zinc deficiency, which can impair immune function, and of acute A. pneumoniae. baumannii. The results showed that zinc-deficient rodents had a bacterial load of A. baumannii in the lungs, spread of bacteria to the spleen and higher mortality than animals with adequate dietary zinc consumption.
During lung infection, zinc-deficient mice produced more pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-13. According to the authors, the administration of IL-13 to rodents with sufficient zinc consumption promotes the spread of Acinetobacter baumannii to the spleen. Anti-IL-13 antibody treatment protected zinc-deficient animals from A. baumannii.
Anti-IL-13 antibodies may protect against pneumonia in deficient patients
“This discovery raises the possibility of using anti-IL-13 therapy in patients with zinc deficiency and A. baumannii pneumonia, as part of a personalized therapeutic approach,” declared Eric Skaarwho participated in the research. Currently, in the United States, FDA-approved anti-IL-13 antibodies (lebrikizumab and tralokinumab) have been extensively studied as potential therapies for severe uncontrolled asthma. Although they have not been shown to be effective for this indication, clinical trials have demonstrated their safety.
