Streptococcal pharyngitis is among the most common bacterial infections, but the molecular mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the interactions among three major players in streptococcal pharyngitis: streptococci, plasma, and saliva. We find that saliva activates the plasma coagulation system through both the extrinsic and the intrinsic pathways, entrapping the bac...

INTRODUCTION Acute Rheumatic Fever and Post Streptococcal Reactive Arthritis in adults can present in a similar manner. CASE PRESENTATION A 25 year old Caucasian male developed a transient crippling polyarthritis one month following treatment of a sore throat. The patient was found to meet criteria for both Acute Rheumatic Fever and Post Streptococcal Reactive Arthritis, leading to the questi...

Gram-positive streptococci are non-motile, chain-forming bacteria commonly found in the normal oral and bowel flora of warm-blooded animals. Over the past decade, a proteomic approach combining 2-DE and MS has been used to systematically map the cellular, surface-associated and secreted proteins of human pathogenic streptococcal species. The public availability of complete streptococcal genomic...

BACKGROUND Although Streptococcal bacteremia is common in diarrheal children with high morbidity and mortality, no systematic data are available on Streptococcal bacteremia in diarrheal children. We sought to evaluate the factors associated with Streptococcal bacteremia in diarrheal children under five years of age and their outcome. METHODS We used an unmatched case-control design to investi...

We report a case of post-streptococcal uveitis mainly presenting with bilateral recurrent retinal vasculitis in Korea. A 14-year-old Asian female presented with decreased visual acuity of 20 / 30 in the right eye and 20 / 25 in the left eye. The patient had a history of glomerulonephritis nine months before onset of uveitis. The manifestation of uveitis was predominantly retinal vasculitis. We ...

Acute streptococcal gingivitis is an acute inflammation of the oral mucosa. Specific bacterial infections of the gingiva may be due to neisseria gonorrhea, treponema pallidum, streptococci, and other organisms. Streptococcal infections are seen rarely. This case report describes a patient who presented with severe gingival inflammation and pain that was diagnosed as an acute streptococcal infec...

Acute streptococcal gingivitis is an acute inflammation of the oral mucosa. Specific bacterial infections of the gingiva may be due to neisseria gonorrhea, treponema pallidum, streptococci, and other organisms. Streptococcal infections are seen rarely. This case report describes a patient who presented with severe gingival inflammation and pain that was diagnosed as an acute streptococcal infec...

Streptococcal exotoxin and staphylococcal enterotoxin share several biological properties, including pyrogenicity, lymphocyte mitogenicity, and enhancement of gram-negative endotoxin lethality. These analogies of the toxins prompted comparative pyrogenic studies. When American Dutch rabbits were immunized by repeated intravenous injections of small amounts of staphylococcal enterotoxin, they ex...