Warning: file_get_contents(https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=19898768
&cmd=llinks): Failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests
in C:\Inetpub\vhosts\kidney.de\httpdocs\pget.php on line 215
Warning: imagejpeg(C:\Inetpub\vhosts\kidney.de\httpdocs\phplern\19898768
.jpg): Failed to open stream: No such file or directory in C:\Inetpub\vhosts\kidney.de\httpdocs\pget.php on line 117 J+Mol+Med+(Berl)
2010 ; 88
(2
): 97-102
Nephropedia Template TP
gab.com Text
Twit Text FOAVip
Twit Text #
English Wikipedia
The pneumococcus: why a commensal misbehaves
#MMPMID19898768
Weiser JN
J Mol Med (Berl)
2010[Feb]; 88
(2
): 97-102
PMID19898768
show ga
Several characteristics of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) combine to
make it a particularly problematic pathogen. Firstly, the pneumococcus has the
capacity to cause disease through the expression of virulence factors such as its
polysaccharide capsule and pore-forming toxin. In addition, the pneumococcus is
highly adaptable as demonstrated by its ability to acquire and disseminate
resistance to multiple antibiotics. Although the pneumococcus is a major cause of
disease, the organism is most commonly an "asymptomatic" colonizer of its human
host (the carrier state), with transmission occurring exclusively from this
reservoir of commensal organisms. Thus, it is unclear how the organism's
virulence and adaptability promote its persistence or host to host spread during
its carrier state. This review summarizes current understanding of how these
characteristics may contribute to the commensal lifestyle of the pneumococcus.