The role of leptin in the development of pulmonary neutrophilia in infection and Acute Lung Injury

Objective One of the hallmarks of severe pneumonia and associated Acute Lung Injury (ALI) is neutrophil recruitment to the lung. Leptin is thought to be up-regulated in the lung following injury and to exert diverse effects on leukocytes, influencing both chemotaxis and survival. We hypothesized that pulmonary leptin contributes directly to the development of pulmonary neutrophilia during pneumonia and ALI.