AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

Since the respiratory tract is in continuous contact with the external environment, it is particularly prone to invading pathogens. Pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity worldwide with substantial mortality. Emerging bacterial resistance and stagnation of mortality rates urge us to expand our knowledge of the host response against bacteria, in the quest to develop alternative treatment strategies. Inflammation and coagulation are two important host defence mechanisms that interact to mount an adequate immune response against infectious agents. This thesis presents experimental studies focused on the role of coagulation induced by the tissue factor pathway in the immune response against bacterial pneumonia.