# Malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde adducts and lung injury

> **NIH VA I01** · OMAHA VA  MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · —

## Abstract

Objective & Clinical Relationship: Our long-term goal is to identify the alcohol-mediated tissue injury
mechanisms observed in individuals with alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) so that better early biomarkers of
injury can be developed leading to enhanced approaches to minimize pathogen susceptibility and prevent the
high costs of pneumonia.
Research Design & Methodology: Alcohol abuse causing increased susceptibility to pneumonia has been
known for over 200 years. NIAAA publications state that hospitalized individuals with alcohol use disorders
(AUDs) have a 3-fold risk of mortality from pneumonia. Alcohol modulates both the innate and adaptive
immune systems of the lung resulting in increased susceptibility and decreased resolution of infection. For 20
years, our research group has been a recognized leader in studying the chronic effects of alcohol on the innate
immunity provided by the mucociliary transport apparatus. Because the majority (>90%) individuals with
AUDs smoke cigarettes, we have chosen to take the public health relevant approach of studying the
combination lung injury effects of both cigarettes and alcohol. In our previous funding cycle, we identified that
the lungs represent a unique environment for the formation of stable malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde protein
adducts (MAA adducts), but only under conditions of combined cigarette smoke and alcohol exposure. These
MAA adducts cause airway epithelial cell cilia slowing and impair the innate pathogen clearance from the lung.
Our published and preliminary data demonstrate that surfactant protein D (SPD) is a major lung protein that
gets adducted when lung aldehyde concentrations are elevated during combined smoke and alcohol exposure.
Using human samples derived from the NIAAA-supported Colorado Pulmonary Alcohol Research Consortium,
we have found that MAA adducts are detected in the lung lavage macrophages and fluid only in individuals
with AUDs who also smoke. We have observed that the AUD smokers have decreased lung mucosal sIgA and
that MAA adduct treatment of airway epithelium blocks transcytotic processing of sIgA mucosal secretion.
Because of these important and novel observations, we now propose to extend our research on the
pathogenesis of the MAA adduct to lung macrophages, mucosal sIgA, and SPD. Our overall hypothesis is that
MAA adducts uniquely form in the lungs of individuals who consume both alcohol and smoke cigarettes,
leading to alterations in innate lung defense. We will investigate this hypothesis through 3 aims: Aim 1: MAA
adducted lung SPD (MAA-SPD) binds to lung macrophages via scavenger receptor A leading to alterations in
macrophage function; Aim 2: MAA-SPD prevents sIgA mucosal secretion in lung by altering epithelial cell
processing of dimerized IgA; and Aim 3: MAA adduction of SPD decreases its anti-microbial action.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9898239
- **Project number:** 5I01BX003635-04
- **Recipient organization:** OMAHA VA  MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Todd A Wyatt
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-04-01 → 2021-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9898239

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9898239, Malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde adducts and lung injury (5I01BX003635-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9898239. Licensed CC0.

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