The Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society 2:401 (2005)
© 2005 The American Thoracic Society
Introduction
Judd Shellito, M.D.
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Louisiana
We all live on the edge; vulnerable but poised to resist external threat. However, an external threat of sufficient magnitude can rapidly break down even our best security efforts, resulting in the disruption of personal and professional lives. Nothing could bring this more sharply into focus than the recent devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina (photograph at right), which overwhelmed hurricane defenses in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, displacing over a million people from their homes and workplaces. In a similar manner, the respiratory tract also maintains a precarious balance. Because much of the inspired air is contaminated with microorganisms, pneumonia is a constant threat. Potent host defenses must be available to resist an infectious challenge, and once the challenge has been cleared, the same defenses must be rapidly inactivated to avoid damage to the alveolar–capillary membrane. If disease or immunosuppressive therapies weaken these host defenses (as Katrina breached the levees in New Orleans), serious infection, even death, may follow. Over the past decade, research has revealed just how complex pulmonary host defense mechanisms are and how they differ from extrapulmonary host defenses. The purpose of this virtual symposium, The Compromised Host, is to highlight recent research and evolving concepts about host defense against pulmonary infection. The Symposium is divided into two parts. In the first part, distinguished physician scientists will review the current state of the art on host defense against infection with an emphasis on lung-specific defenses. In the second part of the Symposium, equally distinguished clinician-investigators will review how specific disease processes undermine these host defenses and increase susceptibility to pulmonary infection. Because of space limitations, references for each article were limited to current or pivotal citations.
FOOTNOTES
Conflict of Interest Statement: J.S. does not have a financial relationship with a commercial entity that has an interest in the subject of this manuscript.
