一項新的研究報告說,一種叫做血色素的含鐵化合物會加重血液中的細菌感染,但是一種叫做血色素結合蛋白的清道夫蛋白可以清除游離的血色素並保護小鼠免受其有害的影響。
這些發現可能給人們帶來監控敗血症患者的新方法。敗血症是一種血流中出現巨量的細菌並使機體免疫系統受到嚴重削弱的感染,它會導致血壓的突然下降以及主要器官的衰竭。 檢測敗血症患者體內的血色素和血色素結合蛋白可幫助醫師預測哪些病人在一開始的時候就需要接受更為積極的治療。 另外,高危病患可能在被施予血色素結合蛋白或其它可消滅血色素的物質後而可能使他們免於死亡。
在敗血症時,被稱作紅血球的紅細胞通常會受到損傷。 當紅血球裂解之後,血紅蛋白被釋放出來並會分解,從而將游離的血色素釋放到血流之中。 正如Rasmus Larsen及其同事現在所報告的,這種游離的血色素並非一種無辜的局外旁觀者。 它實際上會刺激炎症,促使細胞死亡,加重器官損害並增加患者的死亡風險。 研究人員發現,缺乏分解血紅蛋白酶的小鼠其循環血液中會比正常小鼠的血液中有更多的血色素,從而使它們更容易死於敗血症。 此外,該團隊證明,血色素結合蛋白(這是機體產生的一種可清除游離血色素的蛋白)可保護敗血症小鼠免受血色素的有害影響,從而降低其發生併發症和死亡的風險。 人們下一步需要做的是在人體內測試血色素結合蛋白是否會有同樣的保護性功效。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦英文摘要:
Sci Transl Med DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3001118
A Central Role for Free Heme in the Pathogenesis of Severe Sepsis
Rasmus Larsen1, Raffaella Gozzelino1, Viktória Jeney1, László Tokaji1, Fernando A. Bozza2,3, André M. Japiassú2,3, Dolores Bonaparte1, Moisés Marinho Cavalcante1,*, ?ngelo Chora1, Ana Ferreira1, Ivo Marguti1, Sílvia Cardoso1, Nuno Sepúlveda1,4, Ann Smith5 and Miguel P. Soares1,?
Low-grade polymicrobial infection induced by cecal ligation and puncture is lethal in heme oxygenase-1–deficient mice (Hmox1?/?), but not in wild-type (Hmox1+/+) mice. Here we demonstrate that the protective effect of this heme-catabolizing enzyme relies on its ability to prevent tissue damage caused by the circulating free heme released from hemoglobin during infection. Heme administration after low-grade infection in mice promoted tissue damage and severe sepsis. Free heme contributed to the pathogenesis of severe sepsis irrespective of pathogen load, revealing that it compromised host tolerance to infection. Development of lethal forms of severe sepsis after high-grade infection was associated with reduced serum concentrations of the heme sequestering protein hemopexin (HPX), whereas HPX administration after high-grade infection prevented tissue damage and lethality. Finally, the lethal outcome of septic shock in patients was also associated with reduced HPX serum concentrations. We propose that targeting free heme by HPX might be used therapeutically to treat severe sepsis.