Pentraxin 3, Long (PTX3)

PTX3 bound selected pathogens, including Aspergillus fumigatus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhimurium. PTX3 bound to either viable or heat-inactivated conidia, but not the hyphae, of A. fumigatus, and Ptx3 facilitated conidia interaction with mononuclear phagocytes. Conidia rapidly induced PTX3 production in human and mouse monocytes and dendritic cells, but not in neutrophils, fibroblasts, or endothelial or epithelial cells. Infection of mice and humans with A. fumigatus induced high levels of PTX3 in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Significant levels of PTX3 were detected in plasma of neutropenic patients with systemic A. fumigatus infection, but only low levels were found in control subjects.