pneumonia
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyA Nonfunctional Opsonic Antibody Response Frequently Occurs after Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Is Associated with Invasive DiseaseNumerous reports on the dynamics of antipneumococcal immunity in relation to immunization with pneumococcal vaccines and on the prevalence of naturally acquired immunity in various populations have been published. In contrast, studies on the dynamics of the humoral immune response triggered by pneumococcal infection are scarce. This study provides valuable information that will contribute to fill this knowledge gap. Our main results...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEvaluation of a Validated Luminex-Based Multiplex Immunoassay for Measuring Immunoglobulin G Antibodies in Serum to Pneumococcal Capsular PolysaccharidesThe pneumococcal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measures IgG antibodies in human serum, and it is an important assay that supports licensure of pneumococcal vaccines. The immune correlate of protection, 0.35 µg/ml of IgG antibodies, was determined by the ELISA method. Pfizer has developed a new Luminex-based assay platform to replace the ELISA. These papers describe the important work of (i) validating the Luminex-based assay...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPseudomonas aeruginosa Protease IV Exacerbates Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Systemic DiseaseS. pneumoniae remains the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia despite widespread use of pneumococcal vaccines, forcing the necessity for appropriate treatment to control pneumococcal infections. Coinfections involving S. pneumoniae with other bacterial pathogens threaten antibiotic treatment...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Serendipitous Mutation Reveals the Severe Virulence Defect of a Klebsiella pneumoniae fepB MutantIn addition to having a reputation as the causative agent of several types of hospital-acquired infections, Klebsiella pneumoniae has gained widespread attention as a pathogen with a propensity for acquiring antibiotic resistance. It is capable of causing a range of infections, including urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. Because of the rapid emergence...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMolecular Epidemiology of Colonizing and Infecting Isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniaeK. pneumoniae commonly infects hospitalized patients, and these infections are increasingly resistant to carbapenems, the antibiotics of last resort for life-threatening bacterial infections. To prevent and treat these infections, we must better understand how K. pneumoniae causes disease and...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Spl Serine Proteases Modulate Staphylococcus aureus Protein Production and Virulence in a Rabbit Model of PneumoniaStaphylococcus aureus is a versatile human pathogen that produces an array of virulence factors, including several proteases. Of these, six proteases called the Spls are the least characterized. Previous evidence suggests that the Spls are expressed during human infection; however, their function is unknown. Our study shows that the Spls are required for...