“Heparan sulfate shedding in lungs worsens bacterial pneumonia infections by inhibiting antimicrobial peptides”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38113313

Bacterial pneumonia causes shedding of a compound called heparan sulfate in the lungs, which inhibits the ability of the body’s antimicrobial peptides to kill certain types of bacteria, potentially leading to worsened infections.