Iron chelation and hydroxyl radical scavenging reduce the inflammatory response of endothelial cells after infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae or influenza A

Abstract

Cultured ECs respond to infection and iron incubation with increased production of IL-6. Iron, the generation of intracellular hydroxyl radical and NF-kappaB activity are essential in cellular activation, suggesting that reactive oxygen species generated in the Haber-Weiss reaction are essential in invoking an immunological response to infection by ECs.