Observational studyPloS one2024
Tau and Aβ42 in lavage fluid of pneumonia patients are associated with end-organ dysfunction: A prospective exploratory study.
Observational study in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pathological or preventative? Amyloid-β as an effector of innate immunity.Infection and immunity · 2026Review
- Lung endothelial cytopathic tau is sufficient to impair long-term potentiation during infection.American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology · 2026Article
- Tracheal aspirates of mechanically ventilated preterm infants possess cytopathic tau variants: a prospective exploratory study.American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology · 2026Article
- Barrier breakdown: lung-brain crosstalk in systemic inflammation.Journal of neuroinflammation · 2026Review
- Brain-injury and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers are elevated in patients with suspected infection and physiological derangement: importance for context-specific interpretation of Alzheimer's biomarkers.Brain communications · 2026Article
- Endothelial barrier and sepsis: mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies.Military Medical Research · 2026Review
- Peripheral proteinopathy in neurodegenerative diseases.Translational neurodegeneration · 2025Review
- Comprehending Alzheimer's Disease: Molecular Mechanisms and Treatment Strategies.Current Alzheimer research · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
19 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBacterial pneumonia and sepsis are both common causes of end-organ dysfunction, especially in immunocompromised and critically ill patients. Pre-clinical data demonstrate that bacterial pneumonia and sepsis elicit the production of cytotoxic tau and amyloids from pulmonary endothelial cells, which cause lung and brain injury in naïve animal subjects, independent of the primary infection. The contribution of infection-elicited cytotoxic tau and amyloids to end-organ dysfunction has not been examined in the clinical setting. We hypothesized that cytotoxic tau and amyloids are present in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of critically ill patients with bacterial pneumonia and that these tau/amyloids are associated with end-organ dysfunction.
methodsBacterial culture-positive and culture-negative mechanically ventilated patients were recruited into a prospective, exploratory observational study. Levels of tau and Aβ42 in, and cytotoxicity of, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured. Cytotoxic tau and amyloid concentrations were examined in comparison with patient clinical characteristics, including measures of end-organ dysfunction.
resultsTau and Aβ42 were increased in culture-positive patients (n = 49) compared to culture-negative patients (n = 50), independent of the causative bacterial organism. The mean age of patients was 52.1 ± 16.72 years old in the culture-positive group and 52.78 ± 18.18 years old in the culture-negative group. Males comprised 65.3% of the culture-positive group and 56% of the culture-negative group. Caucasian culture-positive patients had increased tau, boiled tau, and Aβ42 compared to both Caucasian and minority culture-negative patients. The increase in cytotoxins was most evident in males of all ages, and their presence was associated with end-organ dysfunction.
conclusionsBacterial infection promotes the generation of cytotoxic tau and Aβ42 within the lung, and these cytotoxins contribute to end-organ dysfunction among critically ill patients. This work illuminates an unappreciated mechanism of injury in critical illness.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.