The secreted cysteine proteinase SpeB is an important virulence factor of group A streptococci (GAS), whereby SpeB activity varies widely among strains. To establish the degree to which SpeB activity correlates with disease, GAS organisms were recovered from patients with pharyngitis, impetigo, invasive disease or acute rheumatic fever (ARF), and selected for analysis using rigorous sampling cr...

Background: Pharyngitis, a common viral throat infection in children, involving inflammation, widespread local bacterial contamination and tissue destruction. When clinical signs appear, the disease already became multifactorial. In absence of any multitarget treatment, we conceived new generation topical, osmotic, anti-inflammatory, surface cleaning polymeric film, capable detaching draining c...

Effectively Managed by Remote Control? I this issue, Fine and colleagues (1) propose a solution to managing the ever-present threat of group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis. Adult streptococcal pharyngitis continues to worry and perplex clinicians and public health authorities. Which patients require evaluation, and which require treatment? Answering these questions would not only improve car...

Barbosa Junior et al, address in this issue the experience of the group on a relevant matter in pediatric practice: the diagnosis of Streptococcal Pharyngotonsillitis (SPT). " Sore throat " symptoms, including pharyngitis, are common reasons for seeking medical assistance in primary care and emergency services, 1 accounting for 12 million consultations a year in the United States in 2006, with ...

dna sequencing is the most conclusive method for emm (m protein gene) typing of streptococcus pyogenes. this method is not a feasible approach in developing countries where streptococcal infection is widespread among adults and children. alternatively the pcr-rflp has the potential for rapid screening of different types of s. pyogenes. to document the emm type distribution of s. pyogenes in a g...

An 8-year-old female with pancreatic-insufficiency cystic fibrosis presented with recurrent pharyngitis, and reduction in body mass index and height velocity during the previous 2 years. Her symptoms (eg, snoring and restless sleep) suggested obstructive sleep apnea, and physical examination revealed tonsillar hypertrophy. While her respiratory disturbance index on nocturnal polysomnography was...

Sore throat is a very common complaint, accounting for approximately 7.3 million outpatient physician visits each year among children in the United States. Group A streptococcus (GAS) is the most common bacterial cause of sore throat and is responsible for 15% to 36% of cases.1 Estimated total costs attributable to GAS pharyngitis in children and adolescents are $224 million to $539 million ann...