Role of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Especially Dangerous Bacterial Infections

Abstract

Novel data on neutrophil extracellular traps (NET), carrying out capture and killing of pathogenic microorganisms with higher effectiveness than during phagocytosis, are presented. A contemporary view on how neutrophils choose intracellular (phagocytosis) or extracellular (NETosis) mechanism of bactericidity during interaction with pathogenic microorganisms is given. Experimental data on the presence in causative agents of plague, cholera and melioidosis of mechanisms of protection from bactericidal effect of NET, as well as NET’S role in regulation of immune response and sepsis development are analyzed.