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Over-salting ruins the balance of the immune menu
Booki Min, Robert L. Fairchild
Booki Min, Robert L. Fairchild
Published October 20, 2015
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2015;125(11):4002-4004. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI84690.
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Commentary

Over-salting ruins the balance of the immune menu

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Abstract

Regulatory components of the immune system are critical for preventing unintended activation of immune cells. Failure to prevent this unintended activation raises the risk of developing exaggerated inflammation and autoimmunity. In this issue of the JCI, Binger et al. and Hernandez et al. report that salt can play an important role in undermining regulatory mechanisms of the innate and adaptive immune systems. High salt levels interfere with alternative activation of macrophages (M2), which function in attenuating tissue inflammation and promoting wound healing. High salt also impairs Treg function by inducing IFNγ production in these cells. Together, these results provide evidence that environmental signals in the presence of high dietary salt enhance proinflammatory responses by interfering with both innate and adaptive regulatory mechanisms.

Authors

Booki Min, Robert L. Fairchild

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Figure 1

High salt wields a double-edged sword in promoting tissue inflammation.

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High salt wields a double-edged sword in promoting tissue inflammation.
...
(A) Under physiologic salt conditions, inflammatory immune responses are counterbalanced by regulatory mechanisms, including Tregs and M(IL-4+IL-13), alternatively activated M2-type macrophages. (B) High salt concentration disrupts this balance by both enhancing proinflammatory responses and impairing the regulatory mechanisms.

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