Publications

randomized placebo-controlled trial on azithromycin to reduce the morbidity of bronchiolitis in indigenous australian infants: rationale and protocol.	acute lower respiratory infections are the commonest cause of morbidity and potentially preventable mortality in indigenous infants. infancy is also a critical time for post-natal lung growth and development. severe or repeated lower airway injury in very young children likely increases the likelihood of chronic pulmonary disorders later in life. globally, bronchiolitis is the most common form of acute lower respiratory infections during infancy. compared with non-indigenous australian infants, ...	2011	21492416
bacteriological findings and antimicrobial resistance in odontogenic and non-odontogenic chronic maxillary sinusitis.	the main objectives of this study were to estimate the frequency of chronic maxillary sinusitis of dental origin, and to evaluate the microbiology of odontogenic and non-odontogenic chronic maxillary sinusitis. aspirates of 59 patients with chronic maxillary sinusitis (47 non-odontogenic, 12 odontogenic), collected during a 3-year period, were microbiologically processed for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. moreover, in the isolated bacteria the antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated. in this ...	2011	21498651
risk factors for serotype 19a carriage after introduction of 7-valent pneumococcal vaccination.	abstract:	2011	21501471
mutant lipooligosaccharide-based conjugate vaccine demonstrates a broad-spectrum effectiveness against moraxella catarrhalis.	there is no licensed vaccine available against moraxella catarrhalis, an exclusive human pathogen responsible for otitis media in children and respiratory infections in adults. we previously developed conjugate vaccine candidates based on lipooligosaccharides (loss) of m. catarrhalis serotypes a, b, and c, each of which was shown to cover a portion of the clinical strains. to generate conserved los antigens and eliminate a potential autoimmune response to a similar epitope between m. catarrhalis ...	2011	21501641
pneumonia caused by moraxella catarrhalis in haematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. report of two cases and review of the literature.	moraxella catarrhalis is a gram negative diplococcus that causes a variety of upper and lower respiratory tract infections. patients with malignant, hematological disorders treated with intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy, and recipients of various forms of haematopoietic stem cell transplant receiving immunosuppressive agents are at high risk of developing severe infections and septic complications. early detection of the organism and prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics provide both reso ...	2007	21503215
sitafloxacin: in bacterial infections.	sitafloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibacterial with in vitro activity against a broad range of gram-positive and -negative bacteria, including anaerobic bacteria, as well as against atypical pathogens. it is approved in japan for use in a number of bacterial infections caused by sitafloxacin-susceptible strains of staphylococcus spp., streptococcus pneumoniae, other streptococcus spp., enterococcus spp., moraxella catarrhalis, escherichia coli, citrobacter spp., klebsiella spp., enterobacter sp ...	2011	21504249
comparative study of immune status to infectious agents in elderly patients with multiple myeloma, waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.	whereas patients with multiple myeloma (mm) have a well-documented susceptibility to infections, this has been less studied in other b-cell disorders, such as waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (wm) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (mgus). we investigated the humoral immunity to 24 different pathogens in elderly patients with mm (n = 25), wm (n = 16), and mgus (n = 18) and in age-matched controls (n = 20). antibody titers against pneumococci, staphylococcal alpha-toxin, tetanu ...	2011	21508164
splunc1 promotes lung innate defense against mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in mice.	short palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone 1 (splunc1) protein is highly expressed in normal airways, but is dramatically decreased in allergic and cigarette smoke exposure settings. we have previously demonstrated splunc1 in vitro antibacterial property against mycoplasma pneumoniae (mp). however, its in vivo biological functions remain unclear. the objectives of this study were to determine the in vivo functions of splunc1 following bacterial (eg, mp) infection, and to examine the underlyi ...	2011	21514430
pathogen yield and antimicrobial resistance patterns of chronic rhinosinusitis patients presenting to a tertiary rhinology centre.	to examine the yield and resistance profile of pathogens in chronic rhinosinusitis (crs) patients receiving culture-directed management and to pay particular attention to the prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) in this population.	2011	21518646
access to a polymerase chain reaction assay method targeting 13 respiratory viruses can reduce antibiotics: a randomised, controlled trial.	viral respiratory infections are common worldwide and range from completely benign disease to life-threatening illness. symptoms can be unspecific, and an etiologic diagnosis is rarely established because of a lack of suitable diagnostic tools. improper use of antibiotics is common in this setting, which is detrimental in light of the development of bacterial resistance. it has been suggested that the use of diagnostic tests could reduce antibiotic prescription rates. the objective of this study ...	2011	21521505
antimicrobial resistance in urinary tract pathogens in canada from 2007 to 2009: canward surveillance study.	from january 2007 to december 2009 an annual canadian national surveillance study (canward) tested 2943 urinary culture pathogens for antimicrobial susceptibilities following clinical and laboratory standards institute (clsi) guidelines. the most frequently isolated urinary pathogens (n, % of all isolates) were escherichia coli (1581, 54%), enterococci (410, 14%), klebsiella pneumoniae (274, 9%), proteus mirabilis (122, 4%), pseudomonas aeruginosa (100, 3%), and staphylococcus aureus (80, 3%). r ...	2011	21537027
always one step ahead: how pathogenic bacteria use the type iii secretion system to manipulate the intestinal mucosal immune system.	the intestinal immune system and the epithelium are the first line of defense in the gut. constantly exposed to microorganisms from the environment, the gut has complex defense mechanisms to prevent infections, as well as regulatory pathways to tolerate commensal bacteria and food antigens. intestinal pathogens have developed strategies to regulate intestinal immunity and inflammation in order to establish or prolong infection. the organisms that employ a type iii secretion system use a molecula ...	2011	21539730
characterization of a cryptic plasmid psm429 and its application for heterologous expression in psychrophilic pseudoalteromonas.	abstract: background: pseudoalteromonas is an important genus widespread in marine environment, and a lot of psychrophilic pseudoalteromonas strains thrive in deep sea and polar sea. by now, there are only a few genetic systems for pseudoalteromonas reported and no commercial pseudoalteromonas genetic system is available, which impedes the study of pseudoalteromonas, especially for psychrophilic strains. the aim of this study is to develop a heterologous expression system for psychrophilic pseud ...	2011	21542941
genetics of complex airway disease.	the past 3 years have seen highly significant genetic effects identified for a wide variety of common complex diseases, including the airway disorders of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. it appears that only a portion of the genetically mediated susceptibility to complex diseases has been identified, and there is much left to be discovered. this review briefly describes the results of the genome-wide association studies of asthma and gives an overview of the parallel and increas ...	2011	21543792
population pharmacokinetics of ceftriaxone in critically ill septic patients: a reappraisal.	to investigate the population pharmacokinetics of ceftriaxone in critically ill patients suffering from sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock.	2011	21545483
aom in children.	in the uk, about 30% of children under 3 years of age visit their gp each year with acute otitis media (aom), and 97% of these receive antibiotics. in the us, aom is the most common reason for outpatient antibiotic treatment. without antibiotics, aom resolves within 24 hours in about 60% of children, and within 3 days in about 80% of children.	2011	21554768
the rna chaperone hfq is important for growth and stress tolerance in francisella novicida.	the rna-binding protein hfq is recognized as an important regulatory factor in a variety of cellular processes, including stress resistance and pathogenesis. hfq has been shown in several bacteria to interact with small regulatory rnas and act as a post-transcriptional regulator of mrna stability and translation. here we examined the impact of hfq on growth, stress tolerance, and gene expression in the intracellular pathogen francisella novicida. we present evidence of hfq involvement in the abi ...	2011	21573133
helicobacter pylori alpa and alpb bind host laminin and influence gastric inflammation in gerbils.	helicobacter pylori persistently colonizes humans, causing gastritis, ulcers, and gastric cancer. adherence to the gastric epithelium has been shown to enhance inflammation, yet only a few h. pylori adhesins have been paired with targets in host tissue. the alpab locus has been reported to encode adhesins involved in adherence to human gastric tissue. we report that abrogation of h. pylori alpa and alpb reduces binding of h. pylori to laminin, while expression of plasmid-borne alpa confers lamin ...	2011	21576328
moraxella catarrhalis outer membrane vesicles carry beta-lactamase and promote survival of streptococcus pneumoniae and haemophilus influenzae by inactivating amoxicillin.	moraxella catarrhalis is a common pathogen found in children with upper respiratory tract infections, and in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during exacerbations. the bacterial species is often isolated together with streptococcus pneumoniae and haemophilus influenzae. outer membrane vesicles (omv) are released by m. catarrhalis and contain phospholipids, adhesins, and immunomodulatory compounds such as lipooligosaccharide. we have recently shown that m. catarrhalis omv exist ...	2011	21576428
ceftaroline versus ceftriaxone in a highly penicillin-resistant pneumococcal pneumonia rabbit model using simulated human dosing.	ceftaroline (cpt) is a new cephalosporin exhibiting bactericidal activity against gram-positive organisms, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) and multidrug-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae (mdrsp), as well as common gram-negative pathogens. this study investigated in vivo efficacy of a 48-hour simulated human-dose regimen of cpt compared with ceftriaxone (cro) against isolates of s. pneumoniae varying in susceptibility to penicillin in a rabbit pneumonia model. three ...	2011	21576444
investigating the potential of conserved inner core oligosaccharide regions of moraxella catarrhalis lipopolysaccharide as vaccine antigens: accessibility and functional activity of monoclonal antibodies and glycoconjugate derived sera.	we investigated the conservation and antibody accessibility of inner core epitopes of moraxella catarrhalis lipopolysaccharide (lps) in order to assess their potential as vaccine candidates. two lps mutants, a single mutant designated lgt2 and a double mutant termed lgt2/lgt4, elaborating truncated inner core structures were generated in order to preclude expression of host-like outer core structures and to create an inner core structure that was shared by all three serotypes a, b and c of m. ca ...	2011	21590368
evaluation of a single tube multiplex real-time pcr for differentiation of the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in clinical specimens.	members of the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (mtbc) differ in virulence attributes, drug resistance patterns, and host preferences. the rapid differentiation of these species to determine zoonotic or human sources of tuberculosis disease or to direct treatment can benefit both public health and patient management. commercially available assays cannot differentiate these species and published assays have not been evaluated directly on clinical specimens. a real-time pcr assay for the differe ...	2011	21593269
crowding and other strong predictors of upper respiratory tract carriage of otitis media-related bacteria in australian aboriginal and non-aboriginal children.	background:: streptococcus pneumoniae, moraxella catarrhalis, and nontypeable haemophilus influenzae is associated with otitis media (om). data are limited on risk factors for carriage of these pathogens, particularly for indigenous populations. we investigated predictors of nasopharyngeal carriage in australian aboriginal and non-aboriginal children. methods:: nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected up to 7 times before age 2 years from 100 aboriginal and 180 non-aboriginal children. longitudin ...	2011	21593705
extracellular matrix formation enhances the ability of streptococcus pneumoniae to cause invasive disease.	during infection, pneumococci exist mainly in sessile biofilms rather than in planktonic form, except during sepsis. however, relatively little is known about how biofilms contribute to pneumococcal pathogenesis. here, we carried out a biofilm assay on opaque and transparent variants of a clinical serotype 19f strain wch159. after 4 days incubation, scanning electron microscopy revealed that opaque biofilm bacteria produced an extracellular matrix, whereas the transparent variant did not. the op ...	2011	21611130
[acting in pulmonary infections in ambulatory practice at adult].	the clinical manifestations (both symptoms and signs) of infections of respiratory tract disease are limited and not specific to the cause. however, there is no universal approach, and good clinical judgment is often essential. most people have approximately three colds per year, of which 70% result from viral origin. it should be stressed that a confident diagnosis of pneumonia is difficult outside the hospital. very often the most important clinical questions are whether an antibiotic should b ...	2010	21612048
exacerbation of cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary inflammation by staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin b in mice.	abstract: background: cigarette smoke (cs) is a major risk factor for the development of copd. cs exposure is associated with an increased risk of bacterial colonization and respiratory tract infection, because of suppressed antibacterial activities of the immune system and delayed clearance of microbial agents from the lungs. colonization with staphylococcus aureus results in release of virulent enterotoxins, with superantigen activity which causes t cell activation. objective: to study the eff ...	2011	21615971
intragenomic and intraspecific heterogeneity of the 16s rrna gene in seven bacterial species from the respiratory tract of cystic fibrosis patients assessed by pcr-temporal temperature gel electrophoresis.	16s rrna gene-based cultivation-independent methods are increasingly used to study the diversity of microbiota during health and disease. one bias of these methods is the variability of 16s rrna gene that may exist among strains of a same species (intraspecific heterogeneity) or between rrs copies in a genome (intragenomic heterogeneity). we evaluated the level of intraspecific and intragenomic 16s rdna variability in seven species frequently encountered in respiratory tract samples in cystic fi ...	2011	21621347
chronic granulomatous disease: a review of the infectious and inflammatory complications.	abstract: chronic granulomatous disease is the most commonly encountered immunodeficiency involving the phagocyte, and is characterized by repeated infections with bacterial and fungal pathogens, as well as the formation of granulomas in tissue. the disease is the result of a disorder of the nadph oxidase system, culminating in an inability of the phagocyte to generate superoxide, leading to the defective killing of pathogenic organisms. this can lead to infections with staphylococcus aureus, ps ...	2011	21624140
microbiology of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in children with acute nonresponding or recurrent community-acquired pneumonia: identification of nontypeable haemophilus influenzae as a major pathogen.	background. precise etiologic diagnosis in pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (cap) remains challenging. methods. we conducted a retrospective study of cap etiology in 2 groups of pediatric patients who underwent flexible bronchoscopy (fob) with bronchoalveolar lavage (bal); children with acute nonresponsive cap (nr-cap; n = 127) or recurrent cap (rec-cap; n = 123). procedural measures were taken to limit contamination risk and quantitative bacterial culture of bal fluid (significance cutoff ...	2011	21628484
the autotransporter protein from bordetella avium, baa1, is involved in host cell attachment.	bordetella avium is a gram negative upper respiratory tract pathogen of birds. b. avium infection of commercially raised turkeys is an agriculturally significant problem. here we describe the functional analysis of the first characterized b. avium autotransporter protein, baa1. autotransporters comprise a large family of proteins found in all groups of gram negative bacteria. although not unique to pathogenic bacteria, autotransporters have been shown to perform a variety of functions implicated ...	2011	21632225
the utility of matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (maldi-tof ms) following introduction for routine laboratory bacterial identification.	maldi-tof ms was evaluated prospectively in a diagnostic laboratory. 927 organisms were tested in triplicate; 2351/2781 (85%) species and 2681/2781 (96%) genus identifications were correct. known issues such as the misidentification of α-haemolytic streptococci as streptococcus pneumonia were easily corrected. identifications cost $aud0.45 per isolate and were available in minutes. maldi-tof ms is rapid, accurate and inexpensive.	2011	21632894
viral-bacterial co-infection in australian indigenous children with acute otitis media.	abstract: background: acute otitis media with perforation (aomwip) affects 40% of remote indigenous children during the first 18 months of life. streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae and moraxella catarrhalis are the primary bacterial pathogens of otitis media and their loads predict clinical ear state. our hypothesis is that antecedent respiratory viral infection increases bacterial density and progression to perforation. methods: a total of 366 nasopharyngeal swabs from 114 indigeno ...	2011	21649905
sole infection by human metapneumovirus among children with radiographically diagnosed community-acquired pneumonia in a tropical region.	limited information is available on the role of human metapneumovirus (hmpv) as the unique pathogen among children hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia (cap) in a tropical region.	2011	21651739
[prevalence of serotypes of streptococcus pneumoniae and other agents that cause acute otitis media in children in latin america. a systematic review of the literature].	acute otitis media (aom) is a common diagnosis in children. streptococcus pneumoniae remains the most prevalent agent worldwide, followed by haemophilus influenzae. however, the introduction of pneumococcal vaccines has changed the microbiology of aom.	2011	21660385
a prospective study of intrafamilial transmission and antimicrobial susceptibility for moraxella catarrhalis.	moraxella catarrhalis has been recognized as a particularly threatening respiratory tract pathogen in humans. a prospective study was performed to investigate a possible model of m. catarrhalis that can be transmitted intrafamily, which includes features of antimicrobial susceptibility. a total of 75 strains were isolated from 6 participants between july 2002 and february 2004, which included 73 that were verified as beta-lactamase-producing strains. antimicrobial susceptibility was tested for 6 ...	2011	21668485
a simple assay for 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonate cytidylyltransferase and its use as a pathway screen.	this article describes the adaptation of a simple colorimetric assay for inorganic pyrophosphate to the enzyme 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonate cytidylyltransferase (cmp-kdo synthetase, kdsb, ec 2.7.7.38), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide (lps) in gram-negative organisms. this assay is particularly useful because it can be combined with the malachite green (mg) assay for inorganic phosphate to form an assay system capable of determining inorganic phosphate and inorganic pyropho ...	2011	21669179
pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin and its penetration into bronchial secretions of mechanically ventilated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.	we evaluated the pharmacokinetic profile of ciprofloxacin and its penetration into bronchial secretions of critically ill patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd). twenty-five mechanically ventilated patients with severe copd who were suffering from an acute, infectious exacerbation were included in this prospective, open-label study. all subjects received a 1-hour intravenous infusion of 400 mg ciprofloxacin every 8 h. serial blood and bronchial secretion samples were obtained ...	2011	21670178
phenylbutyrate counteracts shigella mediated downregulation of cathelicidin in rabbit lung and intestinal epithelia: a potential therapeutic strategy.	cathelicidins and defensins are endogenous antimicrobial peptides (amps) that are downregulated in the mucosal epithelia of the large intestine in shigellosis. oral treatment of shigella infected rabbits with sodium butyrate (nab) reduces clinical severity and counteracts the downregulation of cathelicidin (cap-18) in the large intestinal epithelia.	2011	21673991
intravenous moxifloxacin in routine hospital treatment of respiratory tract infections in china: results of a multicenter, noninterventional study.	to investigate the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of moxifloxacin (mxf) (intravenous [iv] or sequential therapy [iv followed by oral]) under daily treatment conditions in a large number of patients with respiratory tract infections.	2011	21674024
type iv pili in francisella - a virulence trait in an intracellular pathogen.	francisella tularensis is a highly virulent intracellular human pathogen that is capable of rapid proliferation in the infected host. mutants affected in intracellular survival and growth are highly attenuated which highlights the importance of the intracellular phase of the infection. genomic analysis has revealed that francisella encodes all genes required for expression of functional type iv pili (tfp), and in this focused review we summarize recent findings regarding this system in the patho ...	2011	21687421
early acquisition and high nasopharyngeal co-colonisation by streptococcus pneumoniae and three respiratory pathogens amongst gambian new-borns and infants.	although haemophilus influenzae type b (hib), staphylococcus aureus and moraxella catarrhalis are important causes of invasive and mucosal bacterial disease among children, co-carriage with streptococcus pneumoniae during infancy has not been determined in west africa.	2011	21689403
what is causing active trachoma? the role of nonchlamydial bacterial pathogens in a low prevalence setting.	purpose. in low prevalence settings, clinically active follicular trachoma (tf) is often found in the absence of detectable chlamydia trachomatis. the reasons for this persistent follicular phenotype are not well understood; one possible explanation is that other bacterial species are provoking the inflammatory response. this study investigated the relationship between tf, c. trachomatis, and nonchlamydial bacterial infection. methods. a cross-sectional survey was conducted in a trachoma endemic ...	2011	21693601
deep neck abscess: an analysis of microbial etiology and the effectiveness of antibiotics.	the objective was to demonstrate the aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of deep neck space abscess and to analyze the coverage rate of different empiric antimicrobial agents. a retrospective review of hospitalized patients with deep neck abscess diagnosed at a tertiary-care, general hospital between april 2001 and october 2006. the study enrolled 100 patients. the bacterial cultures of 89 patients yielded positive results (89%). the predominant aerobes were viridans streptococci, klebsiella pneu ...	2008	21694873
doripenem in hospital infections: a focus on nosocomial pneumonia, complicated intra-abdominal infections, and complicated urinary tract infections.	doripenem is the latest carbapenem on the market to date. although not an antibiotic in a new class, it offers a glimmer of hope in combating serious infections secondary to multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria when we have not seen a new class of antibacterial, particularly for gram-negative bacteria, for more than 10 years. in vitro, doripenem exhibits a broad spectrum of activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including extended-spectrum +¦-lactamase (esbl) and amp-c ...	2009	21694886
emerging agents to combat complicated and resistant infections: focus on ceftobiprole.	antimicrobial resistance is a global concern. over the past few years, considerable efforts and resources have been expended to detect, monitor, and understand at the basic level the many different facets of emerging and increasing resistance. development of new antimicrobial agents has been matched by the development of new mechanisms of resistance by bacteria. current antibiotics act at a variety of sites within the target bacteria, including the cross-linking enzymes in the cell wall, various ...	2010	21694889
drug resistance in community-acquired respiratory tract infections: role for an emerging antibacterial.	the nasopharynx is the ecological niche where evolution towards resistance occurs in respiratory tract isolates. dynamics of different bacterial populations in antibiotic-free multibacterial niches are the baseline that antibiotic treatments can alter by shifting the competitive balance in favor of resistant populations. for this reason, antibiotic resistance is increasingly being considered to be an ecological problem. traditionally, resistance has implied the need for development of new antibi ...	2010	21694892
potential role of tigecycline in the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.	tigecycline is a member of the glycylcycline class of antimicrobials, which is structurally similar to the tetracycline class. it demonstrates potent in vitro activity against causative pathogens that are most frequently isolated in patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (cabp), including (but not limited to) streptococcus pneumoniae (both penicillin-sensitive and -resistant strains), haemophilus influenzae and moraxella catarrhalis (including +¦-lactamase-producing strains), klebs ...	2011	21694911
temporal development of the humoral immune response to surface antigens of moraxella catarrhalis in young infants.	the primary moraxella catarrhalis-specific humoral immune response, and its association with nasopharyngeal colonization, was studied in a cohort of infants from birth to 2 years of age. results indicated that the levels of antigen-specific igg, iga and igm showed extensive inter-individual variability over time, with igm and iga levels to all 9 recombinant domains, from 7 different omps, being relatively low throughout the study period. in contrast, the level of antigen-specific igg was signifi ...	2011	21704103
toxin on a stick: modular cdi toxin delivery systems play roles in bacterial competition.	contact-dependent growth inhibition (cdi) is the first contact-dependent competition system identified in bacteria. cdi is mediated by the cdia/cdib two-partner secretion system, and the bama outer membrane protein serves as the cdi receptor on target cells. a small immunity protein, cdii, is required to protect inhibitor cells from their own cdi system. recent results from our group show that cdi systems are present in a number of important gram-negative plant and animal pathogens. the c-termin ...	2011	21705856
Bacterial infection profiles in lung cancer patients with febrile neutropenia.	ABSTRACT:	2011	21707992
bronchitis (acute).	acute bronchitis affects over 40/1000 adults a year in the uk. the causes are usually considered to be infective, but only around half of people have identifiable pathogens. the role of smoking or of environmental tobacco smoke inhalation in predisposing to acute bronchitis is unclear. one third of people may have longer-term symptoms or recurrence. methods and outcomes: we conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: what are the effects of treatments for a ...	2011	21711957
[Fusobacterium necrophorum--cause of a mastoiditis with skull- and mandibular joint osteomyelitis].	The typical clinical manifestation of an infection with the obligate anaerobic, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum is the Lemierre syndrome. As the cause of osteomyelitis and mastoiditis factors of the normal bacteria flora are more likely to be found than Fusobacterium necrophorum. Nevertheless, Necrobacillosis is an important differential diagnosis of complicated courses of mastoiditis.	2011	21713715
a randomized, double-blinded, open label study of the efficacy and safety of cefcapene pivoxil and amoxicillin·clavulanate in acute presumed bacterial rhinosinusitis.	currently established first line therapy of acute (presumed bacterial) rhinosinusitis (ars) consists of 10 to 14 days of oral amoxicillin or cephalosporins. this study compared the clinical efficacy and tolerance of cefcapene pivoxil (cp) and amoxicillin-clavulanate (amc) in patients with ars.	2011	21716955
bacterial conjunctivitis.	most cases of conjunctivitis in adults are probably due to viral infection, but children are more likely to develop bacterial conjunctivitis than they are viral forms. the main bacterial pathogens are haemophilus influenzae and streptococcus pneumoniae in adults and children, and moraxella catarrhalis in children. contact lens wearers may be more likely to develop gram-negative infections. bacterial keratitis occurs in up to 30 per 100,000 contact lens wearers. methods and outcomes: we conducted ...	2010	21718563
elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia: optimal treatment strategies.	community-acquired pneumonia (cap) is a common infectious disease that still causes substantial morbidity and mortality. elderly people are frequently affected, and several issues related to care of this condition in the elderly have to be considered. this article reviews current recommendations of guidelines with a special focus on aspects of the care of elderly patients with cap. the most common pathogen in cap is still streptococcus pneumoniae, followed by other pathogens such as haemophilus ...	2011	21721597
incorporation of real-time pcr into routine public health surveillance of culture negative bacterial meningitis in s+úo paulo, brazil.	real-time (rt)-pcr increases diagnostic yield for bacterial meningitis and is ideal for incorporation into routine surveillance in a developing country. we validated a multiplex rt-pcr assay for streptococcus pneumoniae, neisseria meningitidis, and haemophilus influenzae in brazil. risk factors for being culture-negative, rt-pcr positive were determined. the sensitivity of rt-pcr in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) was 100% (95% confidence limits, 96.0%-100%) for n. meningitidis, 97.8% (85.5%-99.9%) fo ...	2011	21731621
acute otitis media in children.	what is the best treatment for acute otitis media in children?	2011	21731893
a clinical pathway for community-acquired pneumonia: an observational cohort study.	six hospitals instituted a voluntary, system-wide, pathway for community acquired pneumonia (cap). we proposed this study to determine the impact of pathway antibiotics on patient survival, hospital length of stay (los), and total hospital cost.	2011	21733161
infectious diseases in patients with irak-4, myd88, nemo, or i+¦b+¦ deficiency.	autosomal recessive irak-4 and myd88 deficiencies predispose affected patients to recurrent invasive pyogenic bacterial infection. both defects result in the selective impairment of cellular responses to toll-like receptors (tlrs) other than tlr3 and of cellular responses to most interleukin-1 receptors (il-1rs), including il-1r, il-18r, and il-33r. hypomorphic mutations in the x-linked nemo gene and hypermorphic mutations in the autosomal ikba gene cause x-linked recessive and autosomal dominan ...	2011	21734245
Viability of respiratory pathogens cultured from nasopharyngeal swabs stored for up to 12 years at -70-¦C in skim milk tryptone glucose glycerol broth.	Nasopharyngeal carriage studies are needed to monitor changes in important bacterial pathogens in response to vaccination and antibiotics. The ability to store original specimens frozen in skim milk tryptone glucose glycerol broth (STGGB) allows additional studies to be conducted without the need for further expensive field collection. Although sub-cultured isolates remain viable in this medium for many years, limited data are available to indicate viability of relatively low numbers of organism ...	2011	21736904
molecular investigations of pena-mediated ß-lactam resistance in burkholderia pseudomallei.	burkholderia pseudomallei is the etiological agent of melioidosis. because of the bacterium's intrinsic resistance and propensity to establish latent infections, melioidosis therapy is complicated and prolonged. newer generation ß-lactams, specifically ceftazidime, are used for acute phase therapy, but resistance to this cephalosporin has been observed. the chromosomally encoded pena gene encodes a putative twin arginine translocase (tat)-secreted ß-lactamase, and pena mutations have been implic ...	2011	21747814
methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-susceptible s. aureus pneumonia: comparison of clinical and thin-section ct findings.	objectives: the purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and thin-section ct findings in patients with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) and methicillin-susceptible s. aureus (mssa). methods: we retrospectively identified 201 patients with acute mrsa pneumonia and 164 patients with acute mssa pneumonia who had undergone chest thin-section ct examinations between january 2004 and march 2009. patients with concurrent infectious disease were excluded from our study. conseq ...	2011	21750126
frontline chemoimmunotherapy with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, alemtuzumab, and rituximab (cfar) for high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia.	frontline chemoimmunotherapy with fludarabine (f), cyclophosphamide (c) and rituximab (r) is associated with superior overall survival (os) for patients (pts) with cll. alemtuzumab (a) was added to fcr (cfar) in a phase ii trial for high-risk untreated pts <70 years with serum ß-2 microglobulin (ß2m) =4 mg/l. sixty pts were enrolled; median age was 59 yrs (range, 42-69); 75% were male; median ß2m was 5.1 mg/l (range, 4-11.6); and 51% were rai iii-iv. complete remission (cr) was achieved in 70%, ...	2011	21750315
update and critical appraisal of the use of topical azithromycin ophthalmic 1% (azasite) solution in the treatment of ocular infections.	azithromycin is an azalide that acts by binding to the 50s ribosomal subunit of susceptible microorganisms and interfering with microbial protein synthesis. azithromycin is also noted by anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity. azasite(®) (inspire pharmaceuticals, inc, durham, nc) is azithromycin ophthalmic solution, 1% formulated in polycarbophil (the aqueous mucoadhesive polymer contained in durasite(®)) that delivers high and prolonged azithromycin concentrations in a variety of ocula ...	2011	21750614
a novel study design for antibiotic trials in acute exacerbations of copd: maestral methodology.	antibiotics, along with oral corticosteroids, are standard treatments for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (aecopd). the ultimate aims of treatment are to minimize the impact of the current exacerbation, and by ensuring complete resolution, reduce the risk of relapse. in the absence of superiority studies of antibiotics in aecopd, evidence of the relative efficacy of different drugs is lacking, and so it is difficult for physicians to select the most effective antibio ...	2011	21760724
horizontal gene transfer/assortative recombination within the acinetobacter baumannii clinical population provides genetic diversity at the single caro gene encoding a major outer membrane protein channel.	we described previously the presence in acinetobacter baumannii of a novel outer membrane (om) protein, caro, which functions as an l-ornithine om channel and whose loss was concomitant with increased carbapenem resistance among clonally related nosocomial isolates of this opportunistic pathogen. here, we describe the existence of extensive genetic diversity at the caro gene within the a. baumannii clinical population. the systematic analysis of caro sequences from a. baumannii isolates obtained ...	2011	21764928
rapid concentration and molecular enrichment approach for sensitive detection of escherichia coli/shigella in potable water samples.	in this work, we used a rapid, simple, and efficient concentration and recovery procedure combined with a dna enrichment method (dubbed crename), that we coupled to an escherichia coli/shigella-specific real-time pcr (rtpcr) assay targeting the tuf gene, to sensitively detect e. coli/shigella in water. this integrated method was compared to the usepa culture-based method 1604 on mi agar in terms of analytical specificity, ubiquity, detection limit, and rapidity. none of the 179 non-e. coli/shige ...	2011	21764965
effects of a tumor necrosis factor-a antagonist on experimentally induced rhinosinusitis.	this prospective, randomized, and controlled study examined the effects of tumor necrosis factor soluble receptor type i (stnfri, a tnf-a antagonist) on experimentally induced rhinosinusitis in rats. the experimental groups received an instillation of lipopolysaccharide (lps) plus an intramuscular injection of amoxicillin/clavulanate (antibiotic group), an instillation of stnfri (stnfri group), an instillation of stnfri and an injection of amoxicillin/clavulanate (stnfri/antibiotic group), or no ...	2011	21772791
retrospective and prospective verification of the cepheid xpert flu assay.	we performed a retrospective (n=121) and prospective (n=305) verification of the cepheid xpert flu assay to determine its performance characteristics. the overall sensitivity and specificity were 93% and 100%, respectively. nasopharyngeal specimen sensitivities were 100% for seasonal influenza a/h1 and influenza a/h3, 90% for influenza a/2009/h1n1, and 95% for influenza b.	2011	21775544
higher rate of bronchoalveolar lavage culture positivity in children with nonacid reflux and respiratory disorders.	the aim of the study was to determine if children with chronic cough or wheezing and with more full-column, nonacid reflux have a higher likelihood of a positive bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture. in a prospective study of 46 children with cough who were undergoing endoscopy, multichannel intraluminal impedance testing, and bronchoscopy, we found that patients who had a positive culture had significantly more full-column, nonacid gastroesophageal reflux than those who had a negative culture.	2011	21777922
ceftaroline: a new cephalosporin with activity against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa).	microbial resistance has reached alarming levels, threatening to outpace the ability to counter with more potent antimicrobial agents. in particular, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa) has become a leading cause of skin and soft-tissue infections and pvl-positive strains have been associated with necrotizing pneumonia. increasing reports of growing resistance to glycopeptides have been noted, further limiting the efficacy of standard antibiotics, such as vancomycin. ceftaroline i ...	2011	21785568
optimal dose finding of garenoxacin based on population pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics and monte carlo simulation.	garenoxacin, a novel des-f(6)-quinolone, possesses potent antibacterial activity against infectious pathogens in the respiratory tract. population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (pk/pd) modeling and monte carlo simulations were used to optimize garenoxacin dosage regimens.	2011	21796376
optimal dose finding of garenoxacin based on population pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics and monte carlo simulation.	garenoxacin, a novel des-f(6)-quinolone, possesses potent antibacterial activity against infectious pathogens in the respiratory tract. population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (pk/pd) modeling and monte carlo simulations were used to optimize garenoxacin dosage regimens.	2011	21796376
evaluation of six commercial nucleic acid amplification tests for the detection of neisseria gonorrhoeae and other neisseria species.	molecular detection of neisseria gonorrhoeae in extragenital samples may result in false positive results due to cross reaction with commensal neisseria species or neisseria meningitidis. this study examined 450 characterised clinical culture isolates, comprising 216 n. gonorrhoeae and 234 neisseria species (n=218) and other closely related bacteria (n=16), with six commercial nucleic acid amplification tests (naats) including gen-probe aptima combo 2 and aptima gc; roche cobas amplicor ct/ng an ...	2011	21813721
urine antibiotic activity in patients presenting to hospitals in laos: implications for worsening antibiotic resistance.	abstract. widespread use of antibiotics may be important in the spread of antimicrobial resistance. we estimated the proportion of lao in- and outpatients who had taken antibiotics before medical consultation by detecting antibiotic activity in their urine added to lawns of bacillus stearothermophilus, escherichia coli, and streptococcus pyogenes. in the retrospective (n = 2,058) and prospective studies (n = 1,153), 49.7% (95% confidence interval [ci] = 47.4-52.0) and 36.2% (95% ci = 33.4-38.9), ...	2011	21813851
characterization of specific antibody deficiency in adults with medically refractory chronic rhinosinusitis.	specific antibody deficiency may predispose patients to recurrent respiratory tract infections. there is limited literature assessing specific antibody deficiency in chronic rhinosinusitis (crs). this study evaluated the role of specific antibody deficiency in patients with crs who have failed medical therapy.	2011	21819760
the luxs-dependent quorum sensing system regulates early biofilm formation by streptococcus pneumoniae strain d39.	streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of mortality in children worldwide and form highly organized biofilms in the nasopharynx, lungs and middle ear mucosa. the luxs-controlled quorum sensing (qs) system has recently been implicated in virulence and persistence in the nasopharynx, but its role in biofilms had not been studied. here, we show that this qs system plays a major role in controlling s. pneumoniae biofilm formation. our results demonstrate that the luxs gene is encoded by invas ...	2011	21825061
the mut056399 inhibitor of fabi is a new antistaphylococcal compound.	mut056399 is a highly potent new inhibitor of the fabi enzyme of both s. aureus and e. coli. in vitro, mut056399 was very active against s. aureus strains including mssa, mrsa, linezolid-resistant and multi-drug-resistant strains, with mic(90) between 0.03 and 0.12 ++g/ml. mut056399 was also active against coagulase negative staphylococci, with mic(90) between 0.12 and 4 ++g/ml. the antibacterial spectrum is consistent with specific fabi inhibition with no activity against bacteria using fabk bu ...	2011	21825292
recombination and population structure in salmonella enterica.	salmonella enterica is a bacterial pathogen that causes enteric fever and gastroenteritis in humans and animals. although its population structure was long described as clonal, based on high linkage disequilibrium between loci typed by enzyme electrophoresis, recent examination of gene sequences has revealed that recombination plays an important evolutionary role. we sequenced around 10% of the core genome of 114 isolates of enterica using a resequencing microarray. application of two different ...	2011	21829375
physiologic cold shock of moraxella catarrhalis affects the expression of genes involved in the iron acquisition, serum resistance and immune evasion.	abstract:	2011	21838871
Murine Model of Chronic Respiratory Inflammation.	The respiratory mucosa is exposed to the external environment each time we breathe and therefore requires a robust and sophisticated immune defense system. As with other mucosal sites, the respiratory mucosal immune system must balance its response to pathogens while also regulating inflammatory immune cell-mediated tissue damage. In the airways, a failure to tightly control immune responses to a pathogen can result in chronic inflammation and tissue destruction with an overzealous response bein ...	2012	21842370
a naturally occurring single residue mutation in the translocator domain of neisseria meningitidis nhha affects trimerization, surface localization and adhesive capabilities.	neisseria meningitidis nhha (neisseria hia/hsf homologue a) is an oligomeric outer membrane protein, belonging to the family of trimeric autotransporter adhesins. nhha mediates the interaction of n. meningitidis with human epithelial cells and components of the extracellular matrix. the recombinant protein is able to induce bactericidal antibodies and hence has also been considered as a potential vaccine candidate. in this study, we analyzed the production of nhha in a large panel of n. meningit ...	2011	21844231
efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia based on pharmacokinetic analysis.	moxifloxacin is a respiratory quinolone that is expected to be useful for treating community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, but few clinical studies and not a detailed evaluation of its pharmacokinetics have been conducted in japan in patients with pneumonia. we assessed the efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin in 18 patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia using pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis. there was significant improvement in body temperature, white blood cell count, c-r ...	2011	21847518
performance of xpert mtb/rif ruo assay and is6110 real-time pcr for mycobacterium tuberculosis detection in clinical samples.	the cepheid xpert mtb/rif research-use-only (ruo) assay and a laboratory-developed test (ldt) targeting is6110 were evaluated and compared to mycobacterial culture as the gold standard. the performance characteristics of both molecular assays were determined by using 112 specimens from 90 patients, including 89 pulmonary specimens and 23 extrapulmonary specimens. of the specimens tested, 37 (33%) were culture positive for the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex; 29 were pulmonary, and 8 were extr ...	2011	21849695
Viruses and bacteria in sputum samples of children with community-acquired pneumonia.	Clin Microbiol Infect ABSTRACT: Few comprehensive studies have searched for viruses and bacteria in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We identified 76 children hospitalized for pneumonia. Induced sputum samples were analysed for 18 viruses by antigen detection and PCR, and for six bacteria by culture and PCR. Viruses were found in 72% of samples, bacteria in 91%, and both in 66%. Rhinovirus (30%), human bocavirus (18%) and human metapneumovirus (14%) were the most commonly detect ...	2011	21851481
SadA, a trimeric autotransporter from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, can promote biofilm formation and provides limited protection against infection.	Salmonella enterica is a major cause of morbidity worldwide and mortality in children and immunocompromised individuals in sub-Saharan Africa. Outer membrane proteins of Salmonella are of significance because they are at the interface between the pathogen and the host, they can contribute to adherence, colonization, and virulence, and they are frequently targets of antibody-mediated immunity. In this study, the properties of SadA, a purported trimeric autotransporter adhesin of Salmonella enteri ...	2011	21859856
risk factors of postoperative pneumonia after lung cancer surgery.	the purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors of postoperative pneumonia (pop) after lung cancer surgery. the 417 lung cancer patients who underwent surgical resection in a tertiary referral hospital were included. clinical, radiological and laboratory data were reviewed retrospectively. male and female ratio was 267:150 (median age, 65 yr). the incidence of pop was 6.2% (26 of 417) and in-hospital mortality was 27% among those patients. by univariate analysis, age ≥ 70 yr (p < 0.001 ...	2011	21860545
new target for inhibition of bacterial rna polymerase: 'switch region'.	a new drug target - the 'switch region' - has been identified within bacterial rna polymerase (rnap), the enzyme that mediates bacterial rna synthesis. the new target serves as the binding site for compounds that inhibit bacterial rna synthesis and kill bacteria. since the new target is present in most bacterial species, compounds that bind to the new target are active against a broad spectrum of bacterial species. since the new target is different from targets of other antibacterial agents, com ...	2011	21862392
azithromycin for prevention of exacerbations of copd.	acute exacerbations adversely affect patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd). macrolide antibiotics benefit patients with a variety of inflammatory airway diseases.	2011	21864166
Protracted bacterial bronchitis in young children: association with airway malacia.	To examine associated findings and clinical outcome in young children with prolonged cough, wheeze, and/or noisy breathing in whom high colony counts of potentially pathogenic bacteria were cultured from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) during diagnostic flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy.	2012	21868031
Frequency of Alloicoccus otitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae in children with otitis media with effusion (OME) in Iranian patients.	OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of common bacterial agents of otitis media with effusion (OME), together with investigation these agent in the adenoid tissue and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolated bacteria in Iranian children with OME. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bacterial culture methods were used for detection and isolation of Alloicoccus otitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae in 63 middle ear fluid samples and 4 ...	2011	21868180
elicitation of epithelial cell-derived immune effectors by outer membrane vesicles of nontypeable haemophilus influenzae.	outer membrane vesicles (omvs) are produced by all gram-negative microorganisms studied to date. the contributions of omvs to biological processes are diverse and include mediation of bacterial stress responses, selective packaging and secretion of virulence determinants, modulation of the host immune response, and contributions to biofilm formation and stability. first characterized as transformasomes in haemophilus, these membranous blebs facilitate transfer of dna among bacteria. nontypeable ...	2011	21875967
correlation of in situ mechanosensitive responses of the moraxella catarrhalis adhesin uspa1 with fibronectin and receptor ceacam1 binding.	bacterial cell surfaces are commonly decorated with a layer formed from multiple copies of adhesin proteins whose binding interactions initiate colonization and infection processes. in this study, we investigate the physical deformability of the uspa1 adhesin protein from moraxella catarrhalis, a causative agent of middle-ear infections in humans. uspa1 binds a range of extracellular proteins including fibronectin, and the epithelial cellular receptor carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesi ...	2011	21876142
Ventilator-associated pneumonia in children after cardiac surgery in The Netherlands.	We conducted a retrospective cohort study in an academic tertiary care center to characterize ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery in The Netherlands.	2011	21877210
antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial pathogens associated with community-acquired respiratory tract infections in asia: report from the community-acquired respiratory tract infection pathogen surveillance (cartips) study, 2009-2010.	a multicentre resistance surveillance study [community-acquired respiratory tract infection pathogen surveillance (cartips)] investigating the susceptibilities of 2963 clinical isolates of streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae, moraxella catarrhalis, klebsiella pneumoniae, meticillin-susceptible staphylococcus aureus (mssa) and streptococcus spp. from asia against 12 antimicrobial agents was undertaken from 2009 to 2010. based on the breakpoints for oral penicillin v recommended by th ...	2011	21880469
evaluation of luminex xtag fungal analyte-specific reagents for rapid identification of clinically relevant fungi.	invasive fungal infections (ifi) remain a serious threat to immunocompromised hosts. current diagnostic methods, including fungal culture and antigen detection, are slow and often lack specificity. rapid diagnostic tools with increased sensitivity and specificity could improve the care of patients with ifi. recently, luminex molecular diagnostics (toronto, canada) developed 23 analyte-specific reagents (asrs) for the detection of the most common clinically relevant fungi. this study's objective ...	2011	21880976
changes in serogroup and genotype prevalence among carried meningococci in the united kingdom during vaccine implementation.	herd immunity is important in the effectiveness of conjugate polysaccharide vaccines against encapsulated bacteria. a large multicenter study investigated the effect of meningococcal serogroup c conjugate vaccine introduction on the meningococcal population.	2011	21881120
Streptococcus pneumoniae exposure is associated with human metapneumovirus seroconversion and increased susceptibility to in vitro HMPV infection.	It remains largely unknown which factors determine the clinical outcome of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections. The aim of the present study was to analyse whether exposure to bacterial pathogens can influence HMPV infections. From 57 children, serum samples and colonization data for Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were collected at 1.5, 6, 14 and 24 months of age. Seroconversion rates to HMPV were determined and related to ba ...	2011	21883660
Rapid PCR detection of group A streptococcus from flocked throat swabs: a retrospective clinical study.	Rapid diagnosis of GAS pharyngitis may improve patient care by ensuring that patients with GAS pharyngitis are treated quickly and also avoiding unnecessary use of antibiotics in those without GAS infection. Very few molecular methods for detection of GAS in clinical throat swab specimens have been described.	2011	21888649
Effect of nasal mometasone furoate on the nasal and nasopharyngeal flora.	OBJECTIVE: Mometasone furoate (MF) is one of the commonly used topical steroids, particularly for patients with allergic rhinitis. However, its effect on the colonization of bacteria that may cause superinfections by suppressing the local immunity is not known. Thus, we investigated the effect of MF use on the nasal and nasopharyngeal microbial flora. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Swab samples were taken from 35 patients who required MF monotherapy, just before and after one month of the treatment. Sam ...	2011	21889281