Mycobacterial infections and the inflammatory seesaw

Cell Host Microbe. 2010 Mar 18;7(3):177-9. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2010.03.003.

Abstract

Eicosanoids can have either proinflammatory effects or anti-inflammatory effects. Tobin and colleagues use a forward genetic screen in zebrafish to identify a key eicosanoid enzyme, leukotriene A(4) hydrolase (LTA(4)H), that controls susceptibility to mycobacterial infection. They also demonstrate that polymorphisms in LTA(4)H are associated with susceptibility to mycobacteria in humans.