Klebsiella pneumoniae alleviates influenza-induced acute lung injury via limiting NK cell expansion.

A protective effect induced by bacterial preinfection upon a subsequent lethal influenza virus infection has been observed, but the underlying immune mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we used a mouse model of Klebsiella pneumoniae preinfection to gain insight into how bacterial preinfection influences the subsequent lethal influenza virus infection. We found that K. pneumoniae preinfection significantly attenuated lung immune injury and decreased mortality during influenza virus infection, but K. pneumoniae-specific immunity was not involved in this cross-protection against influenza virus. K. pneumoniae preinfection limited NK cell expansion, which was involved in influenza-induced immune injury and death. Furthermore, K. pneumoniae preinfection could not control NK cell expansion and death during influenza virus infection in Rag1(-/-) mice, but adoptive transfer of T cells from wild-type mice was able to restore this protective effect. Our data suggest that the adaptive immune response activated by bacterial infection limits the excessive innate immune response induced by a subsequent influenza infection, ultimately protecting mice from death.