Innate Immunity
The role of SFTPA1 in innate immunity has been extensively studied. SP-A has the ability to bind and agglutinate bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other non-biological antigens. Some of the functions by which both SFTPA1 and SFTPA2 contribute to innate immunity include:
- opsonization of bacteria for phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages
- recruitment of monocytes and neutrophils to the site of inflammation/infection
- enhancement of pathogen-killing mechanisms: phagocytosis, release of reactive oxygen species, release of nitric oxide
- control of cytokine production by immune cells
- transition of innate immunity to adaptive immunity (by interaction with cell surface receptors of dendritic cells to allow antigen presentation)
Environmental insults such as air pollution, and exposure to high concentrations of ozone and particulate matter can affect SP-A expression and function, via mechanisms that involve epigenetic regulation of SFTPA1 expression.
Read more about this topic: Pulmonary Surfactant-associated Protein A1
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