Group G streptococcus (GGS) is a human pathogen of emerging clinical significance. It causes skin and soft tissue infections, occasionally resulting in life-threatening conditions such as sepsis and necrotizing fasciitis. We recently identified FOG, a novel surface protein of GGS with fibrinogen binding and immune evasion properties. Here we investigated the role of FOG in streptococcal primary...

Proteins of Streptococcus mutans MT703 were isolated by differential filtration from chemically defined culture medium following growth of the bacteria. Incubation of this preparation with cryostat-cut sections of fresh rabbit cardiac muscle resulted in deposition of streptococcal components on basement membranes of sarcolemmal sheaths and capillary walls, as indicated by indirect immunofluores...

The group A Streptococcus is the most common bacterial cause of pharyngitis. Although most cases of streptococcal pharyngitis are managed by primary care providers, the otolaryngologist is often consulted to assist in the management of patients with persistent sore throat, chronic streptococcal carriage, recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis, or complications of streptococcal infection. This arti...

The nature of the mitogenic activity of pyrogenic streptococcal exotoxin B, also known as streptococcal cysteine protease, has been debated in the literature. Streptococcal exotoxin B has been shown to cleave interleukin-1beta precursor and create biologically active interleukin-1beta, a major cytokine mediating inflammation and shock. This activity could mimic the mitogenicity and cytokine rel...

The question of whether hypersensitivity to streptococcal antigens plays a role in the pathogenesis of the nonsuppurative sequelae of streptococcal infections remains at present unclear. As a first step in the approach to this question, the degree of cellular reactivity of peripheral blood leucocytes to streptococcal antigens was investigated in a number of rheumatic fever patients, patients wi...

Cervical lymphadenopathy is a common problem in children. The condition most commonly represents a transient response to a benign local or generalized infection, but occasionally it might herald the presence of a more serious disorder. Acute bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy usually is caused by a viral upper respiratory tract infection or streptococcal pharyngitis. Acute unilateral cervical l...

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...