Figure 6

Acute lung injury caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa . P. aeruginosa secretes and injects type III secretory toxins (ExoS, ExoT, ExoU, and ExoY) into alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells, blocking macrophage phagocytosis, inducing epithelial disruption, and causing the dissemination of bacterial and inflammatory mediators from the airspace into the systemic circulation, which eventually results in bacteremia and sepsis. AMΦ alveolar macrophages, IL-1 interleukin-1, IL-8 interleukin-8, TNF tumor necrosis factor.