Fluticasone propionate (FP) reduces the frequency and severity of the episodes of exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae are frequently isolated in these episodes. Both express phosphorylcholine, a epitope that mediates their interaction with airway epithelial cells via the platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR). We ...

Although carbon dioxide (CO2) is known to be essential for Streptococcus pneumoniae growth, it is poorly understood how this respiratory tract pathogen adapts to the large changes in environmental CO2 levels it encounters during transmission, host colonization, and disease. To identify the molecular mechanisms that facilitate pneumococcal growth under CO2-poor conditions, we generated a random ...

Cigarette smoke exposure increases the risk of pulmonary and invasive infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most commonly isolated organism from patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Despite this association, the mechanisms by which cigarette smoke exposure diminishes host defense against S. pneumoniae infections are poorly understood. In this study, we compared the responses...

Objective Little attention has been given to acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO) caused by group A -hemolytic Streptococcus (GABHS), although up to 10% of cases are caused by this microorganism. The objective of this study was to define the clinical and laboratory characteristics of AHO caused by GABHS. Methods. Between January 1983 and June 1999, 29 patients were treated at Children’s Natio...

Empyema is defined by the presence of bacteria and/or pus in pleural effusions. However, the biology of bacteria within human pleural fluid has not been studied. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of pediatric and frequent cause of adult empyema. We investigated whether S. pneumoniae can proliferate within human pleural fluid and if growth is affected by the cellular content of t...

Sixty strains of S. pneumoniae isolated from the patients with upper respiratory tract infections were immunologically classified by use of Danish type/group specific antisera. The percentages of S. pneumoniae serologically defined were 23.3% for Group 23, 20.0% for Group 19, 13.3% for Group 6, 10.0% for Type 3, 3.3% for Type 4, 3.3% each for Type 9 and 18, and 1.6% for Type 14. It was confirme...

Streptococcus pneumoniae, a penicillin-sensitive bacterium, is recognized as a major cause of pneumonia and is treated clinically with penicillin-based antibiotics. The rapid increase in resistance to penicillin and other antibiotics affects 450 million people globally and results in 4 million deaths every year. To unveil the mechanism of resistance of S. pneumoniae is thus an important issue t...

Although closely related at the molecular level, the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of serotype 10F Streptococcus pneumoniae and coaggregation receptor polysaccharide (RPS) of Streptococcus oralis C104 have distinct ecological roles. CPS prevents phagocytosis of pathogenic S. pneumoniae, whereas RPS of commensal S. oralis functions as a receptor for lectin-like adhesins on other members of the d...

OBJECTIVES   To determine the prevalence of bacteria in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the antibiogram profile in pediatric patients with suspected meningitis. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted between January 2014 and January 2016 in the Hevi Paediatric Teaching Hospital in Duhok, Iraq. The CSF samples were withdrawn from 432 pediatric patients suspected of meningitis. The samp...