Molecular determinants of the pathogenesis of disease due to non-typable Haemophilus influenzae
Abstract Non-typable Haemophilus influenzae is a common commensal organism in the human upper respiratory tract and an important cause of localized respiratory tract disease. The pathogenesis of disease begins with bacterial colonization of the nasopharynx, a process that involves establishment on t...
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Published in | FEMS microbiology reviews Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 99 - 129 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford, UK
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
01.04.1999
Oxford University Press |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Abstract
Non-typable Haemophilus influenzae is a common commensal organism in the human upper respiratory tract and an important cause of localized respiratory tract disease. The pathogenesis of disease begins with bacterial colonization of the nasopharynx, a process that involves establishment on the mucosal surface and evasion of local immune mechanisms. Under the proper circumstances, the organism spreads contiguously to the middle ear, the sinuses, or the lungs, and then stimulates a brisk inflammatory response, producing symptomatic infection. In this review, we summarize our present understanding of the molecular determinants of this sequence of events. Continued investigation of the molecular mechanism of non-typable H. influenzae pathogenicity should facilitate development of novel approaches to the treatment and prevention of H. influenzae disease. |
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ISSN: | 0168-6445 1574-6976 1574-6976 |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.1574-6976.1999.tb00393.x |