Group B streptococcal disease remains a prominent cause of infectious morbidity in pregnant women and their infants. This article highlights recent developments that are relevant for obstetricians, perinatologists, and neonatologists caring for patients with group B streptococcal disease. The morbidity of group B streptococcal infections in pregnancy and the proposed association of colonization...

Acute streptococcal gingivitis is an acute inflammation of the oral mucosa and also seen with the other oral diseases as aggressive periodontitis that is characterized by a considerable attachment loss over a short period of time. Streptococcal infections of gingiva are seen rarely; also the origin of this gingival inflammation is occasionally different from that of routine plaque-associated gi...

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is the major target of the therapeutic approach in rheumatoid arthritis. A key issue in the approach to chronic arthritis is the understanding of the crucial molecules driving the transition from the acute phase to the chronic irreversible phase of the disease. In this review we analyzed five experimental arthritis animal models (antigen-induced arthritis, adjuva...

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of meningitis in newborn infants. Bacterial cell surface appendages, known as pili, have been recently described in streptococcal pathogens, including GBS. The pilus tip adhesin, PilA, contributes to GBS adherence to blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelium; however, the host receptor and the contribution of PilA in central nervous system (CNS) dise...

The purpose of this study was to isolate streptococcal strains from the oral cavities of streptococcal endocarditis patients and compare these strains biochemically and genetically with the corresponding streptococcal blood isolates. Total identity was observed between the blood and oral cavity isolates from the two patients studied.

The clinical association of streptococcal infections and psoriasis is well established. The recent finding that the T cells in psoriasis skin respond to streptococcal peptidoglycan now suggests a pathway for an adaptive immune response to the streptococcal organism. These observations may allow for possible vaccines to be developed for psoriasis.

objective(s) rapid tests for detection of streptococcus agalactiae or group b streptococci (gbs) at the onset of labor are needed to permit early intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. this study aimed to evaluate the pcr assays targeting the 16s ribosomal rna gene (16s rdna) for detection of the gbs in comparison with a specific culture method. materials and methods two swabs were used to obtain ...

A hemagglutination method employing tanned human O erythrocytes sensitized with purified Group A streptococcal polysaccharide has been developed to measure A polysaccharide antibody in antistreptococcal rabbit and human sera. The reaction of sensitized RBC with known Group A streptococcal rabbit antisera, inhibition of hemagglutination with A polysaccharide, and abolition of hemagglutination an...

Rabbit antisera against partially purified streptococcal desoxyribonuclease inhibit the action of the enzyme on its substrate. The activity of pancreatic desoxyribonuclease is not affected by these antisera. Similarly antibody against pancreatic nuclease does not inhibit the streptococcal enzyme. Certain patients develop inhibitory antibody to streptococcal desoxyribonuclease following streptoc...

Streptococcus spp are opportunistic pathogens that normally reside in the upper respiratory, intestinal, lower urinary, and genital tracts but can cause localized infection or septicemia in dogs of all ages. A retrospective study of streptococcal infection in 393 dogs was conducted to identify the species of Streptococcus isolated, determine demographics of affected dogs, and characterize the d...