How Interleukin-26 Is Involved in Pneumonia Infection

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden report that a recently discovered inflammatory mediator, interleukin-26, appears to have an important role in pneumonia and contribute to the killing of bacteria. The study was published in Frontiers in Immunology—Microbial Immunology.

The new study demonstrates that interleukin-26 (IL-26) is critically involved in bacterial pneumonia in humans. Studying human lung tissue and airway samples from patients with bacterial pneumonia, the researchers were able to show that IL-26 exerts complex modulatory effects on the immune system and that the protein directly kills bacteria known to cause pneumonia.

Specifically, the researchers quantified protein concentrations of IL-26 in the samples and characterized their relationship with leukocyte and neutrophil concentrations. The scientists also assessed the bacterial killing effect in a macrophage model in vitro.

“Antibiotics are not sufficient to treat pneumonia and antibiotic resistance is an increasing problem, highlighting the need for biological treatments of this global killer disease. Our findings position IL-26 as a new potential target for biological treatment and emphasize that its role in pneumonia deserves to be further evaluated,” says lead author Karlhans Che.