Authors: Wood, Kelly A.; Marik, Paul E.

Source: Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews, Volume 1, Number 2, June 2005 , pp. 159-163(5)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major health concern and the subject of extensive research. In the past, efforts have been focused on addressing antibiotic resistance patterns, instituting preventive measures, and the development of prediction tools. Despite these efforts, improvement in outcome from CAP, particularly in the elderly, has remained inadequate. Inappropriate antibiotic therapy, potential lack of efficacy of pneumoccocal vaccine and limited use of prediction tools have led to a marked increase in attempts to explore genetic influences on CAP. There is evidence that genetics plays a role not only in acquiring CAP, but also in the ultimate outcome of this disease. Since morbidity and mortality are related to septic complications, examining the genetics of sepsis along with CAP is essential. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mutations have been shown to be associated with outcomes (ex. SP-B +1580, LTA +250, and HSP70-2+1267 polymorphisms ) in CAP and infectious causes of sepsis. Unfortunately, some results have had inconsistent associations with outcome (TNF -308 and IL-10 polymorphisms); lending support to the postulation that studying larger population samples and levels of RNA expression may provide clarifying data. It is anticipated that genetic research involving CAP and its outcomes will lead to the use of genetic data in prediction and therapeutic tools.

Keywords: community-acquired pneumonia; genetics; polymorphisms; prediction

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573398054023046

Affiliations: 1: Department of Critical Care, University of Pittsburgh, 606 D Scaife Hall, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.

Publication date: 2005-06-01

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• Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews publishes frontier reviews on all the latest advances on respiratory diseases and its related areas e.g. pharmacology, pathogenesis, clinical care, and therapy. The journal's aim is to publish the highest quality review articles dedicated to clinical research in the field. The journal is essential reading for all researchers and clinicians in respiratory medicine.

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