Survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae in sputum from patients with pneumonia

The isolation rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae in sputum cultures from patients with pneumococcal pneumonia is low. An investigation was made to determine whether this low yield might be due to loss of pneumocci and/or overgrowth by pharyngeal flora before the specimen is plated. Pneumococcal survival times and pharyngeal overgrowth at 4 degrees C and at room temperature were determined in sputum obtained from 42 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. It was found that pneumococci survived for long periods in sputum--2.2 +/- 1.4 days at room temperature and 9.5 +/- 3.6 days at 4 degrees C. Overgrowth by pharyngeal flora occurred in only 6 of 42 specimens kept at 4 degrees C and 31 of 42 specimens kept at room temperature. The low yield of S. pneumoniae in sputum from patients with pneumococcal pneumonia is not explained by decreased viability of the organism.

Download Full-text

The Contribution of PspC to Pneumococcal Virulence Varies between Strains and Is Accomplished by Both Complement Evasion and Complement-Independent Mechanisms

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.00543-06 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 74 (9) ◽

pp. 5319-5324 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Alison R. Kerr ◽

Gavin K. Paterson ◽

Jackie McCluskey ◽

Francesco Iannelli ◽

Marco R. Oggioni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Protein C ◽

Pneumococcal Pneumonia ◽

Surface Protein ◽

Murine Models ◽

Wild Type ◽

Survival Times ◽

Pneumococcal Strain ◽

Wild Type Parent

ABSTRACTPneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) is a virulence factor ofStreptococcus pneumoniaepreviously shown to play a role in bacterial adherence, invasion, and evasion of complement. We investigated the role of this protein in our murine models of pneumococcal pneumonia with different pneumococcal strains. The deletion ofpspCin strains of serotypes 2, 3, and 19F did not significantly alter host survival times in the pneumonia model. In contrast,pspCdeletion significantly reduced the virulence of the serotype 4 strain, TIGR4, in both the pneumonia and bacteremia models. Therefore,pspCis a systemic and pulmonary virulence determinant forS. pneumoniae, but its effects are influenced by the pneumococcal strain. Finally, pneumonia infection of complement-deficient (C3−/−) mice enhancedpspCvirulence, illustrating that PspC-mediated complement evasion contributes to virulence. However, other functions of PspC also contribute to virulence, as demonstrated by the finding that thepspC-deficient TIGR4 mutant was still attenuated relative to the wild-type parent, even in the absence of C3.

Download Full-text

A genetic interaction screen in Streptococcus pneumoniae identifies functionally redundant vaccine candidate proteins CbpC and CbpJ

10.1101/2021.04.07.438901 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lisa M Russo ◽

Allison J Matthews ◽

revati masilamani ◽

David W Lazinski ◽

Andrew Camilli

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Pneumococcal Pneumonia ◽

Immune Escape ◽

Genetic Interaction ◽

Surface Protein ◽

Invasive Disease ◽

Surface Proteins ◽

Protein Vaccine ◽

Survival Times ◽

Genetic Robustness

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive bacterium that asymptomatically colonizes the nasopharynx and can disseminate to sterile sites resulting in pneumococcal diseases such as pneumonia, otitis media, bacteremia, and meningitis. Due to increased incidence of invasive disease caused by serotypes that are not included in available polysaccharide vaccines, there is a need for a broadly protective protein vaccine to complement the polysaccharide based vaccines. To limit immune escape such a vaccine would ideally target proteins that are essential for virulence. However, the genetic robustness of S. pneumoniae results in few surface exposed proteins being essential for virulence. Here we carried out a genetic interaction screen to identify functionally redundant surface protein pairs that could be used as bivalent protein vaccines, based on the observation that together, these protein pairs are essential for virulence. We identified four pairs of functionally redundant surface proteins that displayed a significant competitive disadvantage during murine pneumococcal pneumonia. Immunization with the most attenuated pair, CbpC and CbpJ, resulted in production of high titers of specific antibodies and a modest increased median survival times of mice challenged with pneumococcal pneumonia. This study demonstrates a method to identify essential pairs of surface-associated virulence proteins that could be widely applied to many bacterial pathogens.

Download Full-text

Distribution and annual changes in the proportion of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in Japanese adults with pneumococcal pneumonia from 2011 to 2017

Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.jiac.2019.07.007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (11) ◽

pp. 925-929 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Shingo Noguchi ◽

Kazuhiro Yatera ◽

Kentaro Akata ◽

Bin Chang ◽

Hiroaki Ikegami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Pneumococcal Pneumonia ◽

Japanese Adults ◽

Annual Changes

Download Full-text

Role of interleukin-18 in experimental infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae

Journal of Medical Microbiology ◽

10.1099/jmm.0.45873-0 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 323-326 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

G K Paterson ◽

C E Blue ◽

T J Mitchell

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Pneumococcal Pneumonia ◽

Infection Type ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Murine Models ◽

Positive Bacterium ◽

Nasopharyngeal Colonization ◽

Complex Influence ◽

Multifunctional Cytokine

IL-18, a multifunctional cytokine, has been shown to be involved in the immune response to numerous pathogens including several bacterial species. To study its role in infection by the Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, wild-type and IL-18 knockout BALB/c mice were compared in murine models of pneumococcal pneumonia, bacteraemia and nasopharyngeal colonization. The influence of IL-18 varied with the infection type, whereby it contributed to increased bacterial loads in pneumonia, reduced levels of colonization and had no effect on levels of bacteraemia following intravenous challenge. Likewise, the influence of IL-18 on pneumonia varied between two infecting pneumococcal strains. Comparison of these results with previous data also suggested that the influence of IL-18 in pneumococcal pneumonia differs with the mouse strain genetic background. Overall, these results demonstrate the complex influence of IL-18 in the response to the pneumococcus.

Download Full-text

Immunization of Mice with Combinations of Pneumococcal Virulence Proteins Elicits Enhanced Protection against Challenge with Streptococcus pneumoniae

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.68.5.3028-3033.2000 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 68 (5) ◽

pp. 3028-3033 ◽

Cited By ~ 151

Author(s):

A. David Ogunniyi ◽

Rebekah L. Folland ◽

David E. Briles ◽

Susan K. Hollingshead ◽

James C. Paton

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Metal Binding ◽

Protein A ◽

Surface Protein ◽

Active Immunization ◽

Survival Times ◽

Virulence Proteins ◽

Virulent Type ◽

Vaccine Potential ◽

High Doses

ABSTRACT The vaccine potential of a combination of three pneumococcal virulence proteins was evaluated in an active-immunization–intraperitoneal-challenge model in BALB/c mice, using very high challenge doses of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The proteins evaluated were a genetic toxoid derivative of pneumolysin (PdB), pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), and a 37-kDa metal-binding lipoprotein referred to as PsaA. Mice immunized with individual proteins or combinations thereof were challenged with high doses of virulent type 2 or type 4 pneumococci. The median survival times for mice immunized with combinations of proteins, particularly PdB and PspA, were significantly longer than those for mice immunized with any of the antigens alone. A similar effect was seen in a passive protection model. Thus, combinations of pneumococcal proteins may provide the best non-serotype-dependent protection against S. pneumoniae.

Download Full-text

The distribution and annual changes in the Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in adult Japanese patients with pneumococcal pneumonia from 2011 to 2015

Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.jiac.2017.01.008 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 301-306 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Kentaro Akata ◽

Bin Chang ◽

Kazuhiro Yatera ◽

Toshinori Kawanami ◽

Keisuke Naito ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Pneumococcal Pneumonia ◽

Japanese Patients ◽

Annual Changes

Download Full-text

Risk factors for levofloxacin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae in community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia: a nested case–control study

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1007/s10096-013-1928-3 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 55-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

C.-I. Kang ◽

◽

J.-H. Song ◽

S. H. Kim ◽

D. R. Chung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Pneumococcal Pneumonia ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Case Control ◽

Nested Case Control ◽

Control Study

Download Full-text

Matcha Green Tea Exhibits Bactericidal Activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Inhibits Functional Pneumolysin

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10121550 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1550

Author(s):

Karin Sasagawa ◽

Hisanori Domon ◽

Rina Sakagami ◽

Satoru Hirayama ◽

Tomoki Maekawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽

Green Tea ◽

Pneumococcal Pneumonia ◽

Epigallocatechin Gallate ◽

Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽

Antibacterial Drug ◽

Pneumococcal Infections ◽

Epicatechin Gallate ◽

Natural Substances

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a causative pathogen of several human infectious diseases including community-acquired pneumonia. Pneumolysin (PLY), a pore-forming toxin, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal pneumonia. In recent years, the use of traditional natural substances for prevention has drawn attention because of the increasing antibacterial drug resistance of S. pneumoniae. According to some studies, green tea exhibits antibacterial and antitoxin activities. The polyphenols, namely the catechins epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC) are largely responsible for these activities. Although matcha green tea provides more polyphenols than green tea infusions, its relationship with pneumococcal pneumonia remains unclear. In this study, we found that treatment with 20 mg/mL matcha supernatant exhibited significant antibacterial activity against S. pneumoniae regardless of antimicrobial resistance. In addition, the matcha supernatant suppressed PLY-mediated hemolysis and cytolysis by inhibiting PLY oligomerization. Moreover, the matcha supernatant and catechins inhibited PLY-mediated neutrophil death and the release of neutrophil elastase. These findings suggest that matcha green tea reduces the virulence of S. pneumoniae in vitro and may be a promising agent for the treatment of pneumococcal infections.

Download Full-text