Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors that recognize conserved molecular patterns expressed by pathogens. Pneumolysin, an intracellular toxin found in all Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical isolates, is an important virulence factor of the pneumococcus that is recognized by TLR4. Although TLR2 is considered the most important receptor for Gram-positive bacteria, our labora...

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major pathogen that causes various diseases, including pneumonia and sepsis, as millions of people suffer from S. pneumoniae infection worldwide. To better understand the immune and inflammatory responses to S. pneumoniae, we produced murine models. To investigate the differences between intranasal and intratracheal infection, BALB/c mice were infected with S. pneu...

Synthesis and biological evaluation of the 99mTcN-Gemifloxacin dithiocarbamate (99mTcN-GIND) complex was investigated in terms of radiochemical stability (RCP) in saline, serum, in-vitro binding with Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) and biodistribution in male Wistar rats artificially infected with living and heat killed S. pneumoniae. The maximum RCP was 98.25 ± 0.30% at 30 min and dec...

Since secondary Streptococcus pneumoniae infections greatly increase the mortality of influenza infections, we determined the relative roles of neutrophil-dependent and -independent mechanisms in increased susceptibility to S. pneumoniae during influenza infection. Mice infected with influenza for 6 days, but not 3 days, showed a significant increase in susceptibility to S. pneumoniae infection...

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogen that causes serious respiratory disease and meningitis in the immunocompromised drug abuse population. However, the precise mechanisms by which drug abuse compromises the host immune defense to pulmonary S. pneumoniae infection is not fully understood. Using a well-established murine model of opiate abuse and S. pneumoniae lung infection, we explored the i...

OBJECTIVES To type mef genes in a nationwide collection of clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes as well as pharyngeal carrier strains of viridans streptococci in Norway. METHODS Erythromycin-resistant mef-positive multilocus sequence-typed (MLST) clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae (n = 36) and S. pyogenes (n = 12) from the National Surveillance Program for ...

An inverse correlation between colonization of the human nasopharynx by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, both common upper respiratory pathogens, has been reported. Studies were undertaken to determine if either of these organisms produces substances which inhibit growth of the other. Culture supernatants from S. pneumoniae inhibited growth of H. influenzae, whereas culture ...

During 1997, Oklahoma City's Hospital A reported penicillin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae in almost 67% of isolates. To confirm this finding, all Hospital A S. pneumoniae isolates from October 23, 1997, through February 19, 1998, were tested for antibiotic susceptibility and repeat-tested at two other hospital laboratories. Medical records of Hospital A patients with invasive S. pneum...

streptococcus pneumoniae is an important problem worldwide and nasopharyngeal colonization plays significant role in pneumococcal infections. the aims of this study were to determine the nasopharyngeal colonization rate, serotyping, antibiotics susceptibility and study the risk factors for nasopharyngeal colonization with s. pneumoniae in students in kashan, iran.a cross-sectional study was con...

Between January 1984 and May 1987, 221 episodes of respiratory infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) were diagnosed in 154 patients by quantitative sputum culture. In 118 (53%) of 221 episodes, S. pneumoniae was isolated in pure culture. In 92(89%) of the remaining 103 episodes, S. pneumoniae was associated with Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) and (or) Branhamella ...