Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae–Promoted Proliferation of Kras-Induced Early Adenomatous Lesions Is Completely Dependent on Toll-Like Receptor Signaling

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a risk factor for lung cancer. COPD is characterized by chronic airway inflammation and lung infections. The airways of patients with COPD are frequently colonized with bacteria [eg, nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi)] that cause pulmonary inflammation and exacerbations. Pulmonary adenocarcinomas are frequently associated with an activating mutation in the KRAS gene. We determined the function of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling on the progression of Kras-induced early adenomatous lesions in the lung. Wild-type (WT) mice and mice doubly deficient in Tlr-2 and -4 ( Tlr2/4 −/− ), both with an oncogenic Kras allele in lung epithelium, were exposed to NTHi for 4 weeks. Exposure to NTHi resulted in increased tumor proliferation and growth in WT mice, but not in Tlr2/4 −/− mice. Alveolar adenomatous hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma were significantly increased in WT mice compared with Tlr2/4 −/− mice. The average size of tumors was significantly larger in WT mice, whereas there was no difference in the number of alveolar lesions between WT and Tlr2/4 −/− mice. NTHi-induced pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation and tumor-associated neutrophils were reduced in Tlr2/4 −/− mice. Thus, subsequent to a driver mutation, NTHi-induced inflammation promotes proliferation of early adenomatous lesions in a TLR-dependent manner.