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Clinical Microbiology and Infection :... May 2014To overview the present global burden of pneumococcal disease is important because new preventive measures such as the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 are currently... (Review)
Review
To overview the present global burden of pneumococcal disease is important because new preventive measures such as the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 are currently being evaluated. Pneumococcal disease is roughly divided into non-invasive and invasive disease. The burden of non-invasive pneumococcal disease in adults is mainly determined by community-acquired pneumonia. Pneumococcal pneumonia has high incidence rates and carries a high mortality risk, especially in the elderly. Within the cluster of invasive pneumococcal diseases, pneumonia also represents the most common infectious source. Incidence and mortality rates of both non-invasive and invasive disease have changed as a result of pneumococcal vaccination in children. However, especially elderly patients with comorbidities remain vulnerable to morbidity and mortality caused by pneumococcal disease. The current review summarizes the current knowledge on the epidemiology including outcome of the main clinical forms of pneumococcal disease, with a special focus on elderly patients. Furthermore, the economic burden and future vaccine strategies are briefly discussed.
Topics: Adult; Community-Acquired Infections; Comorbidity; Humans; Incidence; Pneumococcal Infections; Pneumococcal Vaccines; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Vaccination; Vaccines, Conjugate
PubMed: 24313448
DOI: 10.1111/1469-0691.12461 -
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Dec 2022There is a paucity of evidence linking pneumococcal infection and influenza with SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. There is circumstantial evidence of the possibility of an... (Review)
Review
There is a paucity of evidence linking pneumococcal infection and influenza with SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. There is circumstantial evidence of the possibility of an association between and SARS-CoV-2 such as the increased binding of to coronavirus-infected human airway epithelium, the frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the management of COVID-19 which could mask secondary bacterial infection, and the observation that pneumococcal vaccination is associated with decreased SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab positivity. We performed a targeted literature review for the year 2020, using search terms , influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and found 25 relevant articles of a total of 291. Pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations have the potential to contribute toward efforts aimed at reducing the health burden of SARS-CoV-2, especially by reducing preventable admissions to hospital for pneumonia and the consequent risk of nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Influenza, Human; Pneumococcal Infections; SARS-CoV-2; Streptococcus pneumoniae
PubMed: 34406914
DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1957647 -
The New England Journal of Medicine May 1995
Review
Topics: Humans; Pneumococcal Infections; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal; Pulmonary Alveoli; Streptococcus pneumoniae
PubMed: 7708073
DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199505113321907 -
Critical Reviews in Microbiology 1994Pneumococcal infection persists as a major cause of pneumonia, bacteremia, and otitis media and is the important cause of meningitis in young children. Children less... (Review)
Review
Pneumococcal infection persists as a major cause of pneumonia, bacteremia, and otitis media and is the important cause of meningitis in young children. Children less than 2 years of age show the highest incidence of pneumococcal diseases. Pneumococcal types 6A + 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F + 19A, and 23F account for the large majority of disease isolates in the pediatric population. Bacterial clearance and antibody response were studied in young mice from mothers injected with pneumococcal type 9V polysaccharide (PS) conjugated with the inactivated pneumolysin to examine the protective immunity of young mice to pneumococcal infection. The injection of mice with pneumococcal PS-protein conjugate conferred the protective immunity to pneumococcal infection. The efficacy of pneumococcal vaccine might be enhanced by addition of inactivated pneumolysin in the form of PS-protein conjugate. The molecular size of pneumococcal type 19F PS or oligosaccharide used for preparing the PS-protein conjugate has a profound effect on the antibody response to the PS. The conjugate immunogen prepared from a large molecule of 19F PS produced a high antibody response to the PS in young mice. Development of a PS-protein conjugate vaccine for selected pneumococcal types will help in solving problems of poor immunogenicity of pneumococcal PS vaccine in young children.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antibody Formation; Bacterial Vaccines; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Immunity; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Mice; Pneumococcal Infections; Pneumococcal Vaccines; Vaccination
PubMed: 8185832
DOI: 10.3109/10408419409113544 -
Pediatric Research Sep 1997For 100 y, the study of the molecular mechanism of pneumococcal infection has richly rewarded biomedical science and pediatrics. More recently, a framework has emerged... (Review)
Review
For 100 y, the study of the molecular mechanism of pneumococcal infection has richly rewarded biomedical science and pediatrics. More recently, a framework has emerged for how the pathogen engineers colonization, invasion of the lung and bloodstream, and finally, entry into the brain. This trafficking is then followed by a separate set of events to generate the symptoms of disease. Understanding the ligand receptor interactions that dictate these events has suggested new concepts for how to control the course of an infectious process and improve the morbidity and mortality of encounters with this prevalent pathogen of children.
Topics: Child; Haemophilus influenzae; Humans; Models, Biological; Neisseria meningitidis; Pneumococcal Infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae
PubMed: 9284261
DOI: 10.1203/00006450-199709000-00001 -
Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology Dec 2019Streptococcus pneumoniae, a gram-positive diplococcus, is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. The diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia is usually confirmed by...
Streptococcus pneumoniae, a gram-positive diplococcus, is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. The diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia is usually confirmed by chest x-ray and gram stain. The most appropriate antibiotics for treatment pneumococcal infection are macrolides, beta-lactams, and quinolones. Two vaccines, PPSV23 and PCV13, are highly effective in preventing infection.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Female; Humans; Pneumococcal Infections; Pneumococcal Vaccines; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Streptococcus pneumoniae
PubMed: 31008732
DOI: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000451 -
Current Topics in Microbiology and... 2016Streptococcus pneumoniae frequently colonizes the upper respiratory tract of healthy individuals, but also commonly causes severe invasive infections such as... (Review)
Review
Streptococcus pneumoniae frequently colonizes the upper respiratory tract of healthy individuals, but also commonly causes severe invasive infections such as community-acquired pneumonia and meningitis. One of the key virulence factors of pneumococci is the pore-forming toxin pneumolysin which stimulates cell death and is involved in the evasion of some defense mechanisms. The immune system, however, employs different inflammasomes to sense pneumolysin-induced pore formation, cellular membrane damage, and/or subsequent leakage of bacterial nucleic acid into the host cell cytosol. Canonical inflammasomes are cytosolic multiprotein complexes consisting of a receptor molecule such as NLRP3 or AIM2, the adapter ASC, and caspase-1. NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes mediate cell death and production of important IL-1 family cytokines to recruit leukocytes and defend against S. pneumoniae. Here, we review recent evidence that highlights inflammasomes as critical sensors of S. pneumoniae-induced cellular perturbations, summarize their role in pneumococcal infections, and discuss potential evasion strategies of some emerging pneumococcal strains.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Immune Evasion; Immunity, Innate; Inflammasomes; Pneumococcal Infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae
PubMed: 27460812
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-41171-2_11 -
The New England Journal of Medicine Oct 1977
Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibodies, Bacterial; Antibody Specificity; Bacterial Vaccines; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Pneumococcal Infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae
PubMed: 20576
DOI: 10.1056/NEJM197710272971712 -
Acta Paediatrica Taiwanica = Taiwan Er... 2003Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common bacterial causes of otitis media, sinusitis, bacteremia, pneumonia and bacterial meningitis in the pediatric... (Review)
Review
Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common bacterial causes of otitis media, sinusitis, bacteremia, pneumonia and bacterial meningitis in the pediatric population. The resistance of S. pneumoniae to penicillin and other antimicrobial agents is increasing in many parts of the world. In Taiwan, extremely high prevalence (70%) of penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae among children with nasopharyngeal carriage has been reported. The mechanism of resistance to penicillin is the alteration of penicillin binding protein (PBP) instead of the production of beta-lactamase. Thus beta-lactamase inhibitors are not the solution to the treatment of infections caused by penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae. The adequate treatment of infections caused by penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae should be based on (1) site of infection (2) degree of resistance. Currently, the MIC breakpoints for S. pneumoniae are divided to 2 categories; one for CNS infection and the other for non-CNS infections. For non-CNS infections caused by susceptible or intermediate S. pneumoniae, penicillin still remains the drug of choice with excellent bactericidal activity. Vancomycin should not be the first choice in treating all pneumococcal infections.
Topics: Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Ceftriaxone; Child; Child, Preschool; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; Infant; Meningitis, Pneumococcal; Otitis Media; Penicillin Resistance; Penicillins; Pneumococcal Infections; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Taiwan
PubMed: 12845845
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Medical Microbiology Dec 2000The pathogenesis of pneumococcal infection is a complex interplay between pneumococcal virulence determinants and the host immune response. Molecular studies have... (Review)
Review
The pathogenesis of pneumococcal infection is a complex interplay between pneumococcal virulence determinants and the host immune response. Molecular studies have considerably advanced our knowledge and understanding of the precise structures and functions of the different determinants and their pathogenic roles. This review describes the mechanisms by which pneumococci attach, invade, evade lung defences and cause severe disease. Better understanding of the critical steps in this complex process will enable more effective clinical intervention to be developed to reduce the mortality exacted by this versatile pathogen.
Topics: Animals; Bacterial Adhesion; Humans; Mice; Pneumococcal Infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Virulence
PubMed: 11129716
DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-49-12-1057