4.7 Article

Pertussis Toxin Promotes Pulmonary Hypertension in an Infant Mouse Model of Bordetella pertussis Infection

Journal

JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Volume 225, Issue 1, Pages 172-176

Publisher

OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab325

Keywords

Bordetella pertussis; pulmonary hypertension; pertussis toxin; infant

Funding

  1. National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [AI151485, AI141372]

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The study revealed that Bordetella pertussis-induced pulmonary hypertension is age-related and depends on the expression of pertussis toxin by the bacterium. Targeting pertussis toxin in treatment may help alleviate pulmonary hypertension and fatal infant infections.
Pertussis, caused by Bordetella pertussis, is a reemerging disease that can produce severe disease manifestations in infants, including pulmonary hypertension (PH). B. pertussis-induced PH is a major risk factor for infection-induced death, but the molecular mechanisms promoting PH are unknown and there is no effective treatment. We examined B. pertussis-induced PH in infant and adult mouse models of pertussis by Fulton index, right heart catheterization, or Doppler echocardiogram. Our results demonstrate that B. pertussis-induced PH is age related and dependent on the expression of pertussis toxin by the bacterium. Hence, pertussis toxin-targeting treatments may ameliorate PH and fatal infant infection.

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