The annual incidence of invasive group A streptococcal disease in the developed world has been stable for at least 2 decades at 2.0–4.0 cases per 100,000 persons per year [1–3]. Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and necrotizing fasciitis are among the most severe manifestations of invasive group A streptococcal infection, with case-fatality rates of 30%-70% in adult patients with strepto...

Attenuated strains of Salmonella have been used effectively as vaccines against typhoid fever. We have investigated the use of such strains to deliver cloned antiphagocytic virulence determinants of unrelated bacteria. The aroA strain of S. typhimurium SL3261 was transformed with a low-copy plasmid vector pMK207, which contains the cloned gene spm5 encoding streptococcal M protein, the major vi...

M proteins are major virulence factors of group A streptococci which enable the bacteria to resist phagocytic attack. Their binding capacity for different plasma proteins seems to be one reason for the antiphagocytic activity of M protein. In the present study we demonstrate that M3 protein, isolated from the streptococcal culture supernatant of strain 4/55, and the recombinant form (rM3), puri...

The antimicrobial activity and phenolic compounds of five Finnish honey products against important human pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, S. pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus were analyzed. Microbroth dilution method and HPLC-DAD were used in antimicrobial testing and phenolic compound determination, respectively. Significant antimicrobial activity (p < 0.0...

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that may develop after an infection with group A 1, 2 Streptococcus bacteria. The disease can affect the heart, joints, skin and brain. Complications of rheumatic fever are arrhythmias, damage to the heart valves, endocarditis, heart failure, pericarditis and 3 Sydenham's chorea. The most important way to prevent rheumatic fever is by getting quick tre...

BACKGROUND "Probiotic" bacteria are effective in treating some inflammatory bowel diseases. However which bacteria confer benefit and mechanisms of action remain poorly defined. Dendritic cells, which are pivotal in early bacterial recognition, tolerance induction, and shaping of T cell responses, may be central in mediating the effects of these bacteria. AIMS To assess effects of different p...

this study was undertaken to determine the antibiotic sensitivity of 686 strains of hemolytic streptococci isolated at the school of public health, divi­sion of streptococcal studies, to five antibiotics in vitro. all of the strains were sensitive to penicillin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol and ampicillin. 27 (4%) of the strains, were resistant to tetracyclin. the clinical implications of this...

Post streptococcal syndromes may manifest in multiple organs including the musculoskeletal, central nervous, urinary, integumentary, and circulatory systems. The commonly described post streptococcal syndromes include acute rheumatic fever, post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, post streptococcal arthritis, and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders. Classically, these complications o...

Since the 1980s there has been a marked increase in the recognition and reporting of highly invasive group A streptococcal infections with or without necrotizing fasciitis associated with shock and organ failure. Such dramatic cases have been defined as streptococcal toxic-shock syndrome. Strains of group A streptococci isolated from patients with invasive disease have been predominantly M type...

We constructed the expression vector pSK-SCP containing the streptococcal exotoxin B gene (spe b) which expressed protease activity. We showed that the recombinant streptococcal pyogenic exotoxin B/streptococcal cysteine protease (rSPE B/SCP) was secreted into the culture supernatant of the transformant and retained its SCP activity, which was equivalent to or greater than that of the naturally...