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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Mar 26.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Immunol. 2011 Jul 1;11(8):505–518. doi: 10.1038/nri3010

Figure 4. The IL-1-mediated cutaneous immune response against S. aureus.

Figure 4

Interleukin-1α (IL-1α), which is produced and released by keratinocytes, and IL-1β, which is produced by resident and recruited cells (such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs)), trigger the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) (and of other important pro-inflammatory signalling molecules, such as C/EBPβ/δ (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-β/δ) and MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases)). These signalling pathways lead to the production of antimicrobial peptides (such as β-defensins 2 and 3, cathelicidins and RNase 7) that have bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus. IL-1-mediated responses also result in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules that promote the recruitment of neutrophils from the circulation to the site of S. aureus infection in the skin. Recruited neutrophils form an abscess to help control and limit the spread of the infection, and this is ultimately required for bacterial clearance. TLR2, Toll-like receptor 2.