Publications

safety and immunogenicity of a tetravalent meningococcal serogroups a, c, w-135 and y conjugate vaccine in adolescents and adults.	the highest incidence of invasive meningococcal disease is in young children, with a second peak in adolescents/young adults. all five major disease-causing serogroups (a, b, c, w-135 and y) have been described in asia. immunogenicity and safety of the investigational meningococcal acwy-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (acwy-tt, glaxosmithkline biologicals) was evaluated in healthy, meningococcal conjugate vaccine-naïve adolescents in the philippines, india and taiwan. 1025 adolescents were rand ...	2011	21343698
emerging resistance in neisseria meningitidis and neisseria gonorrhoeae.	the value of monitoring antimicrobial resistance is particularly significant for neisseria meningitidis and neisseria gonorrhoeae diseases, even if it is for different reasons. although there is no global alert for the spread of resistant meningococcal strains, the emergence of resistance is correlated to the outcome of treatment and the successful prophylaxis of close contacts. few cases of resistance among meningococci have been recorded worldwide; it remains unclear what intriguing mechanism ...	2011	21342071
home versus clinic-based specimen collection for chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae.	sexually transmitted infections (stis) are a major public health concern that must be addressed with innovative screening methods to supplement traditional approaches. home-based screening with self-collected urine or vaginal specimens is a highly feasible and acceptable method, and shows promise in improving sti screening rates in both men and women. home collection kits have been offered in a variety of settings, with results ranging from very modest improvements in screening rates to 100-fold ...	2011	21342066
[isolated congenital asplenia--a rare cause of severe pneumococcal sepsis].	invasive disease caused by streptococcus pneumoniae (spn) is common among young children. severe sepsis can be seen among those with primary or secondary immunodeficiency states. the absence of a spleen is a well-known risk factor for severe and overwhelming pneumococcal sepsis, as well as other encapsulated bacteria (e.g. haemophilus influenzae type b (hib), or neisseria meningitidis). the most common cause of asplenia is surgical removal of the spleen (after trauma or as a treatment for variou ...	2010	21341424
rapid cytoskeletal response of epithelial cells to force generation by type iv pili.	many bacterial pathogens interfere with cellular functions including phagocytosis and barrier integrity. the human pathogen neissieria gonorrhoeae generates grappling hooks for adhesion, spreading, and induction of signal cascades that lead to formation cortical plaques containing f-actin and ezrin. it is unclear whether high mechanical forces generated by type iv pili (t4p) are a direct signal that leads to cytoskeletal rearrangements and at which time scale the cytoskeletal response occurs. he ...	2011	21340023
a novel hfq-dependent srna that is under fnr control and is synthesized in oxygen limitation in neisseria meningitidis.	small non-coding rnas (srna) are emerging as key elements of post-transcriptional gene regulation in bacteria. the conserved hfq protein is thought to function as an rna chaperone and facilitate base-pairing between srnas and mrna targets. in this study we identify a novel srna of neisseria meningitidis through global gene expression studies of regulated transcripts in the hfq mutant. the synthesis of this srna, named anis, is anaerobically induced through activation of its promoter by the fnr g ...	2011	21338417
use of hospital discharge data to evaluate notifiable disease reporting to colorado's electronic disease reporting system.	notifiable disease surveillance systems are critical for communicable disease control, and accurate and timely reporting of hospitalized patients who represent the most severe cases is important. a local health department in metropolitan denver used inpatient hospital discharge (ihd) data to evaluate the sensitivity, timeliness, and data quality of reporting eight notifiable diseases to the colorado electronic disease reporting system (cedrs).	2011	21337935
a promoter probe plasmid based on green fluorescent protein : a strategy for studying meningococcal gene expression.	many bacterial genes are regulated in an environment-responsive fashion, and from the perspective of a pathogen, the host represents just another environment. many genes that contribute to virulence are differentially expressed in response to host environments that they encounter during colonization and invasion (1). recognition of this has led to the development of selection or reporter systems that utilize the increased activity of promoters during growth in vivo to identify genes that are sel ...	2001	21337172
interactions of meningococci with endothelium.	the vascular endothelium forms an essential barrier against invasion by neisseria meningitidis from the nasopharynx into the circulation and against meningococcal invasion from the bloodstream into the brain. in previous chapters, there has therefore been considerable emphasis on techniques designed to investigate the mechanisms underlying meningococcal interactions with epithelial and endothelial surfaces. the vascular endothelium is also a major target for the host inflammatory response to men ...	2001	21337171
invasion of the central nervous system by neisseria meningitidis.	neisseria meningitidis is an extracellular pathogen responsible for septicemia and meningitis. the occurrence of meningitis requires that bacteria cross the blood-brain barrier (bbb) and induce an inflammatory response within the sub arachnoid space. the mechanisms that lead to the development of cerebrospinal fluid (csf) pleocytosis once bacteria have reached the csf have been studied using several animal models. these mechanisms are similar among extracellular pathogens responsible for meningi ...	2001	21337170
experimental nasopharyngeal colonization by neisseria meningitidis using explant organ culture.	this chapter will describe the use of organ cultures of human nasopharyngeal mucosa to study the interaction of neisseria meningitidis with this complex tissue. colonization of nasopharyngeal mucosa is the first step in the pathogenesis of meningococcal disease. supporting evidence for this is the correlation between the prevalence of community carriage and the occurrence of meningococcal disease (1). during nonepidemic periods, the baseline prevalence of nasopharyngeal carriage of meningococci ...	2001	21337169
molecular recognition mechanisms of meningococci : identifying receptor-ligand pairs involved in microbe-host interactions.	neisseria meningitidis is a human specific pathogen and resides primarily in the nasopharynx of its host. the molecular-recognition mechanisms that operate at the host-microbe interface to impart such precise host/tissue specificity are not fully defined. given the host muco-cilliary clearance mechanisms, an obvious prerequisite for colonization is the ability of bacteria to make firm and rapid contact with the nasopharyngeal mucosa. the specificity for the niche indicates that one or more menin ...	2001	21337168
complement pathways and meningococcal disease : diagnostic aspects.	complement is an immunological effector system that bridges innate and acquired immunity in several ways. there is a striking association between susceptibility to meningococcal disease and various forms of complement deficiency (1,2). in defense against bacterial infection, the most important function of complement is probably to serve as a mediator of antibody-dependent immunity. specific antibodies can trigger activation of the classical and the alternative pathways of complement activation ( ...	2001	21337165
isolation and analysis of radiolabeled meningococcal endotoxin.	the gram-negative pathogen neisseria meningitidis, is one of the leading causes of bacterial meningitis worldwide (1). the host range for this organism is restricted to humans, where it colonizes the mucosal epithelium of the upper airway. it occasionally disseminates causing invasive disease (sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulation [dic], meningitis). epidemic meningococcal meningitis is a major health problem, most notably in sub-saharan africa. in 1999, an outbreak of meningococcal dis ...	2001	21337160
quantitative detection of bacterial lipopolysaccharides in clinical specimens.	lipopolysaccharides (lps) located to the outer leaflet of the outer membrane have been identified as the main common endotoxic component of gramnegative bacteria (1-3). although other constituents of the bacterial cell wall, i.e., peptidoglycan, may contribute, lps is considered to be the single most important constituent of neisseria meningitidis that induces inflammation in the host (4-12). neisserial lipopolysaccharides are often referred to as lipooligosaccharides (los) owing to the short po ...	2001	21337159
clinical studies : an overview.	disease caused by neisseria meningitidis is a worldwide problem (1). epi- demics of meningococcal disease regularly occur in the "meningitis belt" of sub-saharan africa and in asia (2-5) and high or increasing levels of endemic meningococcal disease have been reported recently in the uk (6), new zealand (7), cuba (8), brazil (9), norway (10), and the pacific northwest of the united states (11). meningococcal disease predominantly affects children and has a high mortality, which has remained unch ...	2001	21337157
epidemiology of meningococcal disease in north america.	invasive disease caused by neisseria meningitidis is one of the leading infectious causes of death in childhood in north america (1), but its prevention has not received the same priority on the health agenda as in europe, australia, and new zealand. there are several likely explanations, but the principal one is that disease incidence appears to be lower in both canada (2) and the united states (3) than in some of these other countries (4,5). here, we describe recent epidemiological data concer ...	2001	21337155
global trends in meningococcal disease.	the unambiguous identification of epidemic neisseria meningitidis strains and their clear distinction from other less pathogenic meningococci is required for the global epidemiology of meningococcal disease. until the recent development of multi-locus sequence typing (1), multi-locus enzyme electrophoresis (abbreviated mee or mlee) was the only method to permit large-scale analysis of n. meningitidis strains causing disease in various parts of the world and to document the intercontinental sprea ...	2001	21337151
genome sequencing and annotation.	the availability of complete microbial genome sequences enormously facilitates experimental molecular investigations of the respective organisms by providing complete lists of genes, their genetic contexts, and their predicted functions. this can be used in a number of ways to focus studies on bacterial pathogenesis and also vaccine development (1,2). the complete genome sequences from two unrelated strains of neisseria meningitidis, a derivative of isolate mc58 which originally expressed serogr ...	2001	21337148
molecular analysis of the meningococcal lps expression.	lipopolysaccharide (lps) is one of the major virulence factors of neisseria meningitidis (1), with proposed roles in bacterial attachment to the host, invasion of host tissues, serum resistance, evasion of the host immune response, and the pathogenesis of sepsis syndrome. accordingly it has become an important target for research.	2001	21337147
multi-locus sequence typing.	it has recently become apparent that many bacterial populations undergo extremely high levels of horizontal genetic exchange, such that traditional clonal models of bacterial diversity are now inadequate (1-3). such recombination is especially apparent in naturally transformable bacteria such as members of the genus neisseria (4). this has implications for epidemiology, because it is not possible to assign accurate phylogenies to isolates by looking at variation at a single genetic locus if that ...	2001	21337145
nucleotide sequencing of antigen genes of neisseria meningitidis.	the cell-surface structures of neisseria meningitidis play a critical role in the interaction of the bacterium with the human host both as variable antigens that evade immune eradication and by promoting colonization of and adherence to epithelial cells in the nasopharynx. surface molecules are also implicated in the patho- genicity of some meningococci by facilitating invasion of host cells, survival in the bloodstream, and resistance to phagocytosis. the antigenic diversity among cell- surface ...	2001	21337144
serological characterization.	immunoassays employ a range of methods to detect and quantify antigens or antibodies and to study the composition of antigens. this chapter describes four useful immunoassays for serological characterization of antigens of neisseria meningitidis: whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa); dot blot, colony blot, and immunoblot. serological characterization of n. meningitidis antigens is valuable for epidemiological studies as well as for identifying immunologically important antigens i ...	2001	21337142
overview: epidemiology, surveillance, and population biology.	a combination of data obtained by classical epidemiological techniques with insights gained from the analysis of the population biology of neisseria meningitidis have proved to be critical in understanding the spread of menin-gococcal disease. this is a consequence of the natural history and evolution of this bacterium, which, despite its fearsome reputation as an aggressive pathogen (1), is ordinarily a harmless commensal inhabitant of the nasopharynx of adult humans (2). further, it has been e ...	2001	21337141
molecular approach for the study of penicillin resistance in neisseria meningitidis.	neisseria meningitidis was previously considered extremely susceptible to penicillin, with most isolates showing minimal inhibitory concentrations (mics) of ≦ 0.06 μg/ml. however, meningococcal isolates with decreased susceptibility to penicillin have been reported from asymptomatic carriers from as long ago as 1964 (1). since then, meningococcal clinical isolates with decreased susceptibility to penicillin have been widely described in different countries, with mics between 0.12 μg/ml to 1 μg/m ...	2001	21337140
meningococcal serology.	meningococcal serology has been mainly used over the last 20 years in the field of vaccinology, to evaluate candidate vaccines and quantify individuals' immune responses. with the increasing usage of pre-admission antibiotic treatment (1), nonculture diagnostic methods such as polymerase chain reaction (pcr) ( chapter 3 ), antigen detection ( chapter 4 ), and serology have become important tools. nonculture diagnosis of meningococcal disease is rapidly becoming of equal importance for the confir ...	2001	21337138
pcr diagnosis.	nonculture diagnosis is of increasing importance in maximizing case ascertainment of disease owing to neisseria meningitidis (1). in the united kingdom (uk), greater use of pre-admission antibiotics has lead to a steady decline in the total number of cases confirmed by culture, compared to the number reported to the office for national statistics (ons). in addition, since the introduction of serogroup c oligosaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (2) in the uk and its imminent introduction elsewhe ...	2001	21337136
whole-blood model.	neisseria meningitidis is an obligate human pathogen. when it interacts with the host, it can establish a commensal relationship or can, on a minority of occasions, invade and cause systemic disease. protection against systemic disease, particularly for serogroup a and c infections, has been equated with the presence of bactericidal antibody directed against the capsular polysaccharide (cps) (1). in serogroup b infections, the cps resembles host-cell moieties, is non-immunogenic, and does not in ...	2001	21336764
animal models for meningococcal disease.	there are many in vitro systems for the study of meningococcal pathogenesis, but it is only in animal models of infection that the interactions of the bacteria with whole tissues and the humoral and cellular immune systems can be assessed. animal-infection models are also of great importance for the assessment of the protective efficacy of existing and candidate vaccines. however, the relevance of these animal models to human disease and how well protection assessed in them corresponds to protec ...	2001	21336759
testing meningococcal vaccines for mitogenicity and superantigenicity.	proteins with intrinsic mitogenic properties are widely represented in prokaryotes, such as in different streptococcus species (1-3), candida albicans (4), and eikenella corrodens (5). specifically, several bacterial porins of escherichia coli, shigella dysenteriae, salmonella typhimurium, fusobacterium nucleatum, and pathogenic neisseria species have been shown to induce nonspecific proliferation of lymphocytes (6-12).	2001	21336757
identification of peptides that mimic n. meningitidis los epitopes via the use of combinatorial phage-display libraries.	although capsular polysaccharide-based vaccines are effective at reducing the incidence of meningococcal disease caused by serogroups a, c, y, and w135 (1-3), immunization against serogroup b disease using similar strategies has proven unsuccessful (4,5). the primary reason for this is that the α2,8-linked n-acetylneuraminic acid homopolymer expressed by serogroup b strains is poorly immunogenic in humans (6). consequently, considerable effort has been devoted towards the development of alternat ...	2001	21336756
recombinant proteins in vaccine development.	the outer membrane of neisseria meningitidis contains a variety of proteins with the potential for inclusion in new meningococcal vaccines (1). studies on the vaccine potential of these proteins would be facilitated by the production of pure recombinant protein, free from other components of the neisseria outer membrane. at present, the class 1 outer-membrane protein (omp) is generally regarded as the most promising candidate. in this chapter, we describe four protocols involved in the preparati ...	2001	21336755
methods for manipulation of transferrin-binding proteins.	to obtain iron, a necessary nutrient, meningococci and several other human and veterinary pathogens have iron-acquisition systems, which are expressed in vivo during infection. one target of iron-acquisition systems is transferrin (tf), which is the major glycoprotein responsible for the transport of iron in the extracellular milieu of vertebrates. tf-binding proteins a and b (tbpa and tbpb) function as the cell-surface tf receptor in neisseria meningitidis (1).	2001	21336750
outer membrane protein vesicle vaccines for meningococcal disease.	alternative strategies exist for prevention of group b neisseria meningitidis (meningococcal) disease through vaccination (see chapters 5 , 8 , 13 , 14 in this volume). however, the most promising approach to date has been the use of outer-membrane vesicle (omv) vaccines for induction of bactericidal antibodies against cell-surface outer-membrane proteins (omps).	2001	21336749
outer membrane protein purification.	the major outer membrane proteins (omps) from neisseria meningitidis, which are expressed at high levels, are subdivided in five classes based on molecular weight (1,2) (see table 1). table 1 major meningococcal outer-membrane proteins outer-membrane proteins name molecular maass function/characteristics class 1 pora 44-47 kda porin class 2/3 porb 37-42 kda porin class 4 rmp reductionmodifiableprotein, unknown class 5 opa 26-30 kda adhesion,opacity protein opc 25 kda invasion, opacity protein ir ...	2001	21336748
n-propionylation.	serogroup b neisseria meningitidis remains a major world health problem and currently there is no fully efficacious vaccine available. the poor immunogenicity of the group b meningococcal polysaccharide both in adults and infants prevents the formulation of a comprehensive polysaccharide-based vaccine (1). although, as discussed in chapter 4 , conjugation technology can overcome the limitation of the poor immunogenicity of most capsular polysaccharides, the serogroup b meningococcal polysacchari ...	2001	21336747
purification of capsular polysaccharide.	meningococcus is an aerobic, fastidious, gram-negative diplococcus that is found only in humans. its cell wall has a cytoplasmic membrane, a peptidoglycan layer, and an outer membrane. meningococci isolated from the bloodstream or the spinal fluid are almost always encapsulated. the capsules are polysaccharides, which consist of repeating sugar units (1,2). the capsular polysaccharide can be isolated, purified, and chemically and physically defined. based on the chemical and immunological specif ...	2001	21336745
immune response and host-pathogen interactions.	for the most part, the relationship between the pathogen, neisseria meningitidis, and humans is uneventful. colonization of the human nasopharynx at various times during life is an almost universal experience but clinically overt disease is unusual except during epidemics. this overview considers the relationship between the meningococcus and humans, reviewing current immunological and molecular understanding of this interaction of relevance to development of immunogenic vaccines.	2001	21336744
[lymphogranuloma venereum proctocolitis in men with hiv-1 infection].	we present a series of 15 cases with lymphogranuloma venereum (lgv) with the aim of evaluating the response to a 21-day oral course of doxycycline (100mg twice daily).	2011	21333398
avidity of serogroup a meningococcal igg antibodies after immunization with different doses of a tetravalent a/c/y/w135 polysaccharide vaccine.	in the absence of an affordable conjugate meningococcal vaccine, mass vaccination campaigns with polysaccharide vaccines are the means to control meningitis epidemics in sub-saharan africa. facing global vaccine shortage, the use of reduced doses, which have been shown to be protective by serum bactericidal activity, can save many lives. in this study, we investigated the antibody responses and avidity of igg antibodies evoked against the serogroup a capsule of neisseria meningitidis by differen ...	2011	21332570
structure-function relationships of the competence lipoprotein coml and ssb in meningococcal transformation.	neisseria meningitidis, the meningococcus, is naturally competent for transformation throughout its growth cycle. the uptake of exogenous dna into the meningococcus cell during transformation is a multi-step process. beyond the requirement for type iv pilus expression for efficient transformation, little is known about the neisserial proteins involved in dna binding, uptake and genome integration. this study aimed to identify and characterize neisserial dna binding proteins in order to further e ...	2011	21330432
first case of meningococcal meningitis due to neisseria meningitidis serogroup z' in slovenia, december 2010.	we report here on the identification of the first meningococcal meningitis case in slovenia caused by neisseria meningitidis serogroup z’ in december 2010. the 19-year-old patient had not left the country during the incubation period. the patient was hospitalised and given the antibiotic treatment with cefotaxime very early in the course of the disease. the patient did not develop any complications during hospitalisation and was discharged on 5 january 2011.	2011	21329646
ceftriaxone treatment failure of pharyngeal gonorrhoea verified by international recommendations, sweden, july 2010.	this report describes one case of verified treatment failure of pharyngeal gonorrhoea using ceftriaxone in sweden. previous reports described verified treatment failure of urogenital gonorrhoea using the internationally recommended first-line drug cefixime, but not with ceftriaxone, the last remaining option for empirical treatment of gonorrhoea. enhanced awareness of clinical failures, pharmacodynamic considerations, follow-up and test of cure, adherence to appropriate case management and treat ...	2011	21329645
the role of acidification in the inhibition of neisseria gonorrhoeae by vaginal lactobacilli during anaerobic growth.	vaginal lactobacilli protect the female genital tract by producing lactic acid, bacteriocins, hydrogen peroxide or a local immune response. in bacterial vaginosis, normal lactobacilli are replaced by an anaerobic flora and this may increase susceptibility to neisseria gonorrhoeae, a facultative anaerobe. bacterial interference between vaginal lactobacilli and n. gonorrhoeae has not been studied in liquid medium under anaerobic conditions. by co-cultivating n. gonorrhoeae in the presence of lacto ...	2011	21329492
a meningococcal factor h binding protein mutant that eliminates factor h binding enhances protective antibody responses to vaccination.	certain pathogens recruit host complement inhibitors such as factor h (fh) to evade the immune system. microbial complement inhibitor-binding molecules can be promising vaccine targets by eliciting abs that neutralize this microbial defense mechanism. one such ag, meningococcal factor h-binding protein (fhbp), was used in clinical trials before the protein was discovered to bind fh. the potential effect of fh binding on vaccine immunogenicity had not been assessed in experimental animals because ...	2011	21325619
evaluation of the abbott realtime ct/ng assay in comparison to the roche cobas amplicor ct/ng assay.	several commercial methods exist for the molecular detection of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae in clinical samples. here we evaluated the performance characteristics of the newly fda-cleared abbott realtime ct/ng assay (where "ct" stands for chlamydia trachomatis and "ng" stands for neisseria gonorrhoeae) that uses the automated m2000 molecular platform. results were compared to those of the roche cobas amplicor ct/ng assay. a total of 926 cervical swab, 45 female urine, 6 male ...	2011	21325546
opportunity and means: horizontal gene transfer from the human host to a bacterial pathogen.	the acquisition and incorporation of genetic material between nonmating species, or horizontal gene transfer (hgt), has been frequently described for phylogenetically related organisms, but far less evidence exists for hgt between highly divergent organisms. here we report the identification and characterization of a horizontally transferred fragment of the human long interspersed nuclear element l1 to the genome of the strictly human pathogen neisseria gonorrhoeae. a 685-bp sequence exhibiting ...	2011	21325040
[prevalence and determining factors of acquiring c. trachomatis infection among adolescents and young adults in catalonia].	to determine the prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis (c. trachomatis) and neisseria gonorrhoeae (n. gonhorroeae) infections and the risk factors for acquiring them in individuals under 35 years-old attending sexual health clinics in barcelona province in 2006.	2011	21324559
the natural history of incident gonococcal infection in adolescent women.	the natural history of neisseria gonorrhoeae (gc) infections is largely unknown. the objective of the current study was to use sequential weekly vaginal samples and molecular techniques to describe the natural history of incident gonorrhea infections in adolescent women.	2011	21317686
antimicrobial drug resistance in taiwan.	antimicrobial resistance is a major global health threat associated with high mortality rates and high medical costs. geographic variations in resistance profiles of bacterial and fungal pathogens have had a considerable impact on antimicrobial prescription. in taiwan, there is an alarmingly high prevalence of penicillin-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae, multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant (xdr) pseudomonas aeruginosa and acinetobacter baumannii, extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-pr ...	2011	21316007
attenuated virulence of min operon mutants of neisseria gonorrhoeae and their interactions with human urethral epithelial cells.	neisseria gonorrhoeae, a sexually-transmitted gram-negative bacterium, causes gonorrhoea in humans. the min genes of n. gonorrhoeae are involved in cell division site selection with oxyr co-transcribed with these genes. the mutation in min genes and oxy r cause aberrant cell morphology and aggregation patterns, respectively. our objective was to assess the contribution of neisserial min operon cell division genes i.e. minc, mind and oxyr in virulence. compared to the n. gonorrhoeae parental stra ...	2011	21315173
channel properties of the translocator domain of the autotransporter hbp of escherichia coli.	autotransporters produced by gram-negative bacteria consist of an n-terminal signal sequence, a c-terminal translocator domain (td), and a passenger domain in between. the td facilitates the secretion of the passenger across the outer membrane. it generally consists of a channel-forming ß-barrel that can be plugged by an a-helix that is formed by a polypeptide fragment immediately n-terminal to the barrel domain in the sequence. in this work, we characterized the td of the hemoglobin protease hb ...	2011	21314477
posttranslational modification of pili upon cell contact triggers n. meningitidis dissemination.	the gram-negative bacterium neisseria meningitidis asymptomatically colonizes the throat of 10 to 30% of the human population, but throat colonization can also act as the port of entry to the blood (septicemia) and then the brain (meningitis). colonization is mediated by filamentous organelles referred to as type iv pili, which allow the formation of bacterial aggregates associated with host cells. we found that proliferation of n. meningitidis in contact with host cells increased the transcript ...	2011	21311024
influence of the combination and phase variation status of the haemoglobin receptors hmbr and hpuab on meningococcal virulence.	neisseria meningitidis can utilize haem, haemoglobin and haemoglobin-haptoglobin complexes as sources of iron via two tonb-dependent phase variable haemoglobin receptors, hmbr and hpuab. hmbr is over-represented in disease isolates, suggesting a link between haemoglobin acquisition and meningococcal disease. this study compared the distribution of hpuab and phase variation (pv) status of both receptors in disease and carriage isolates. meningococcal disease (n?=?214) and carriage (n?=?305) isola ...	2011	21310784
detection of bovine herpesvirus 1 sequences in yaks (bos grunniens) with keratoconjunctivitis, using a highly sensitive nested polymerase chain reaction.	thirty-seven yaks (bos grunniens) with keratoconjunctivitis and 22 healthy yaks were used to investigate the role of bovine herpesvirus 1 (bohv-1) in keratoconjunctivitis in yaks. nucleic acid sequences of bohv-1 glycoproteins b and e were detected in conjunctival swabs from all yaks with keratoconjunctivitis using a nested polymerase chain reaction (pcr). in 21 yaks, bohv-1 sequences were detected along with moraxella bovis (m. bovis) and neisseria spp. the amplified bohv-1 sequences were ident ...	2010	21309468
co-administration of a novel haemophilus influenzae type b and neisseria meningitidis serogroups c and y-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine does not interfere with the immune response to antigens contained in infant vaccines routinely used in the united states.	an investigational combined haemophilus influenzae type b (hib) and neisseria meningitidis serogroups c and y tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (hibmency-tt) has been developed to protect infants from invasive disease caused by hib and these meningococcal serogroups without adding injections to the immunization schedule. incorporation of this novel vaccine into the us vaccination schedule will require demonstration of a lack of immunologic interference with other routine pediatric vaccines. this ...	2011	21307655
first report of performance of the versant ct/gc dna 1.0 assay (kpcr) for detection of chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae.	we evaluated the analytical, work flow, and clinical performance of the versant ct/gc dna 1.0 assay (versant ct/gc assay, where "ct" represents chlamydia trachomatis and "gc" represents neisseria gonorrhoeae). the assay simultaneously detects chlamydia trachomatis and neisseria gonorrhoeae in swab and first-catch urine (fcu) specimens. the limit of detection (lod) was determined to be 342 copies/ml for c. trachomatis and 137 copies/ml for gc. the versant ct/gc assay detected 15 c. trachomatis se ...	2011	21307209
high prevalence of quinolone resistance in neisseria gonorrhoeae in coastal kenya.		2011	21307154
structural characterization of outer membrane components of the type iv pili system in pathogenic neisseria.	structures of the type iv pili secretin complexes from neisseria gonorrhoeae and neisseria meningitidis, embedded in outer membranes were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. single particle averaging revealed additional domains not observed previously. secretin complexes of n. gonorrhoeae showed a double ring structure with a 14-15-fold symmetry in the central ring, and a 14-fold symmetry of the peripheral ring with 7 spikes protruding. in secretin complexes of n. meningitidis, the ...	2011	21304951
laboratory confirmed outbreak of meningococcal infections in tripura.		2011	21304204
disentangling screening and diagnostic chlamydia test positivity among females testing at title x-funded and adolescent health clinics, san francisco 2009.	by using a reason-for-test code, we compared positivity for female chlamydia and gonorrhea. at family planning clinics, there were no statistically significant differences in screening versus diagnostic positivity for either chlamydia or gonorrhea among women. however, at adolescent health clinics, diagnostic positivity was higher than screening positivity for chlamydia and gonorrhea.	2011	21301386
extracts of canadian first nations medicinal plants, used as natural products, inhibit neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates with different antibiotic resistance profiles.	: neisseria gonorrhoeae (ng) has developed resistance to most antimicrobial agents and the antibiotics recommended for therapy are restricted, for the most part, to third generation cephalosporins. in order to investigate new potential sources of antimicrobial agents, the antibacterial properties of 14 canadian plants used in traditional first nations' medicine were tested against ng isolates having differing antimicrobial susceptibility profiles.	2011	21301385
the neisseria gonorrhoeae biofilm matrix contains dna, and an endogenous nuclease controls its incorporation.	neisseria gonorrhoeae has been shown to produce biofilms both in experimental flow chambers and in the human host. our laboratory has shown that extracellular dna is an essential component of the gonococcal matrix. we have also identified a gene in n. gonorrhoeae, which we designated nuc. this gene has homology with the staphylococcus-secreted thermonuclease. our laboratory has characterized nuc through phenotypic analysis of a nuc deletion mutant. biofilms grown with this strain are significant ...	2011	21300774
the formyl peptide receptor like-1 and scavenger receptor marco are involved in glial cell activation in bacterial meningitis.	recent studies have suggested that the scavenger receptor marco (macrophage receptor with collagenous structure) mediates activation of the immune response in bacterial infection of the central nervous system (cns). the chemotactic g-protein-coupled receptor (gpcr) formyl-peptide-receptor like-1 (fprl1) plays an essential role in the inflammatory responses of host defence mechanisms and neurodegenerative disorders such as alzheimer's disease (ad). expression of the antimicrobial peptide cathelic ...	2011	21299846
the dna-binding activity of the neisseria gonorrhoeae lexa orthologue ng1427 is modulated by oxidation.	neisseria gonorrhoeae is a human-specific organism that is not usually exposed to uv light or chemicals but is likely to encounter reactive oxygen species during infection. exposure of n. gonorrhoeae to sublethal hydrogen peroxide revealed that the ng1427 gene was upregulated sixfold. n. gonorrhoeae was thought to lack an sos system, although ng1427 shows amino acid sequence similarity to the sos response regulator lexa from escherichia coli. similar to lexa and other s24 peptidases, ng1427 unde ...	2010	21299643
neisseria meningitidis has two independent modes of recognizing its human receptor ceacam1.	several human-restricted gram-negative bacteria exploit carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (ceacams) for host colonization. for example, neisseria meningitidis engages these human receptors via outer membrane proteins of the colony opacity-associated (opa) protein family triggering internalization into non-phagocytic cells.	2011	21298042
horizontal transfer, not duplication, drives the expansion of protein families in prokaryotes.	gene duplication followed by neo- or sub-functionalization deeply impacts the evolution of protein families and is regarded as the main source of adaptive functional novelty in eukaryotes. while there is ample evidence of adaptive gene duplication in prokaryotes, it is not clear whether duplication outweighs the contribution of horizontal gene transfer in the expansion of protein families. we analyzed closely related prokaryote strains or species with small genomes (helicobacter, neisseria, stre ...	2011	21298028
neisseria gonorrhoeae infection induces altered amphiregulin processing and release.	adhesion of the human pathogen neisseria gonorrhoeae has established effects on the host cell and evokes a variety of cellular events including growth factor activation. in the present study we report that infection with n. gonorrhoeae causes altered amphiregulin processing and release in human epithelial cells. amphiregulin is a well-studied growth factor with functions in various cell processes and is upregulated in different forms cancer and proliferative diseases. the protein is prototypical ...	2011	21298020
rectal infections with chlamydia and gonorrhoea in women attending a multiethnic sexually transmitted diseases urban clinic.	sexually transmitted rectal infections with chlamydia trachomatis (ct) and neisseria gonorrhoeae (gc) have been well documented in men who have sex with men (msm). few studies have described infections in women who engage in anal intercourse. we performed testing for rectal infections in women who reported ano-receptive intercourse at the miami dade health department sexually transmitted diseases (std) clinic and report the prevalence and characteristics of women with rectal ct or gc infections. ...	2010	21297090
role of the periplasmic chaperones skp, sura, and degq in outer membrane protein biogenesis in neisseria meningitidis.	the periplasmic chaperones skp, sura, and degp are implicated in the biogenesis of outer membrane proteins (omps) in escherichia coli. here, we investigated whether these chaperones exert similar functions in neisseria meningitidis. although n. meningitidis does not contain a homolog of the protease/chaperone degp, it does possess a homolog of another e. coli protein, degq, which can functionally replace degp when overproduced. hence, we examined whether in n. meningitidis, degq acts as a functi ...	2011	21296967
whole-genome sequence of the transformable neisseria meningitidis serogroup a strain wue2594.	serogroup a meningococci are a leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children and young adults worldwide. however, the genetic basis of serogroup a strains' virulence and their epidemiological properties remain poorly understood. therefore, we sequenced the complete genome of the transformable neisseria meningitidis serogroup a strain wue2594.	2011	21296965
immunogenicity and safety of crm197 conjugated 9-valent pneumococcal and meningococcal c combination vaccine in healthy infants.	streptococcus pneumoniae and neisseria meningitidis cause invasive disease in children aged <2 years. while individual conjugate vaccines are available to protect this age group against these pathogens, availability of a vaccine combining these antigens into a single injection is desirable. this study randomized 467 healthy infants to receive 4 doses of combination 9-valent pneumococcal and meningococcal serogroup c conjugate vaccine (9vpnc-mncc) or 9-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (9vpnc ...	2011	21296118
characterization of farr as a highly specialized, growth phase-dependent transcriptional regulator in neisseria meningitidis.	transcriptional regulators play an important role for the survival of neisseria meningitidis within its human host. we have recently shown that farr acts as transcriptional repressor of the adhesin nada in n. meningitidis. here, we examined the farr regulon by microarray analyses, qrt-pcr, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, revealing that farr is a highly specific repressor of nada. we demonstrate by reporter gene fusion assays that alterations of the farr binding site within the nada pr ...	2011	21292554
serum antibodies against genitourinary infectious agents in prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia patients: a case-control study.	infection plays a role in the pathogenesis of many human malignancies. whether prostate cancer (pca) - an important health issue in the aging male population in the western world - belongs to these conditions has been a matter of research since the 1970 s. persistent serum antibodies are a proof of present or past infection. the aim of this study was to compare serum antibodies against genitourinary infectious agents between pca patients and controls with benign prostate hyperplasia (bph). we hy ...	2011	21291519
lipopolysaccharide lewis antigens	as determined by serological techniques, the o-antigen of lipopolysaccharide (lps) of more than 80% of helicobacter pylori strains tested worldwide express lewis blood group antigens (36, 60, 71). this percentage possibly represents an underestimation; it was demonstrated that some h. pylori strains do not react with anti-lewis x (lex) monoclonal antibodies (mabs) while structurally they were shown to express lex (39). thus, lewis antigen expression in h. pylori is highly conserved. this restric ...	2001	21290739
glycomimicry: display of fucosylation on the lipo-oligosaccharide of recombinant escherichia coli k12.	we recently described the design of escherichia coli k12 and salmonella enterica sv typhimurium to display the gangliomannoside 3 (gm3) antigen on the cell surface. we report here the fucosylation of modified lipooligosaccharide in a recombinant e.coli strain with a truncated lipid a core due to deletion of the core glycosyltransferases genes waao and waab. this truncated structure was used as a scaffold to assemble the lewis y motif by consequent action of the heterologously expressed ß-1,4 gal ...	2011	21286806
etiology of invasive bacterial infections in immunocompetent children in korea (1996-2005): a retrospective multicenter study.	the purpose of this study was to identify the major etiological agents responsible for invasive bacterial infections in immunocompetent korean children. we retrospectively surveyed invasive bacterial infections in immunocompetent children caused by eight major pediatric bacteria, namely streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae, neisseria meningitidis, staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus agalactiae, streptococcus pyogenes, listeria monocytogenes, and salmonella species that were diagnose ...	2011	21286006
demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics of men with nongonococcal urethritis differ by etiology: a case-comparison study.	nongonococcal urethritis (ngu) is common, yet up to 50% of cases have no defined etiology. the extent to which risk profiles and clinical presentations of pathogen-associated and idiopathic cases differ is largely unknown.	2011	21285914
microbial communities of the upper respiratory tract and otitis media in children.	streptococcus pneumoniae asymptomatically colonizes the upper respiratory tract of children and is a frequent cause of otitis media. patterns of microbial colonization likely influence s. pneumoniae colonization and otitis media susceptibility. this study compared microbial communities in children with and without otitis media. nasal swabs and clinical and demographic data were collected in a cross-sectional study of philadelphia, pa, children (6 to 78 months) (n=108) during the 2008-2009 winter ...	2011	21285435
usefulness of pora sequencing in distinguishing sporadic and linked cases of serogroup b invasive meningococcal disease in suffolk, united kingdom, december 2009 to january 2010.	a cluster of three fatal cases of invasive meningococcal disease due to neisseria meningitidis serogroup bin a town in suffolk, united kingdom, during december 2009 to january 2010 was reported to the local health protection unit. this paper describes the investigation undertaken to identify any potential epidemiological links among the cases, to determine if this was an outbreak and to consider whether to implement community-wide interventions and control measures. case epidemiological informat ...	2011	21284923
evaluation of three swab transport systems for the maintenance of clinically important bacteria in simulated mono- and polymicrobial samples.	in this study, three swab transport systems were evaluated: m40 transystem, amies broth with a relatively new type of swab (both copan diagnostics, corona, ca, usa), and ssi transportmedium (statens serum institut, copenhagen denmark). the clsi m40-a standard procedures and 11 culture collection strains were used. the transport systems were tested at room temperature for holding times of 0, 24, and 48 h, and both mono- and polymicrobial samples were included. after 24 h of simulated transportati ...	2011	21284737
the transposon-like correia elements encode numerous strong promoters and provide a potential new mechanism for phase variation in the meningococcus.	neisseria meningitidis is the primary causative agent of bacterial meningitis. the genome is rich in repetitive dna and almost 2% is occupied by a diminutive transposon called the correia element. here we report a bioinformatic analysis defining eight subtypes of the element with four distinct types of ends. transcriptional analysis, using pcr and a lacz reporter system, revealed that two ends in particular encode strong promoters. the activity of the strongest promoter is dictated by a recurren ...	2011	21283790
african women recently infected with hiv-1 and hsv-2 have increased risk of acquiring neisseria gonorrhoeae and chlamydia trachomatis in the methods for improving reproductive health in africa trial.	background:: neisseria gonorrhoeae and chlamydia trachomatis are 2 common causative agents of cervical bacterial sexually transmitted infections (sti). against the background of the concurrent epidemics of stis and hiv in sub-saharan africa, we examined the effect of hiv-1 and hsv-2 on acquiring n. gonorrhoeae and c. trachomatis in a cohort of southern african women at risk for hiv infection. methods:: we examined incidence of first infection with n. gonorrhoeae and c. trachomatis in the multisi ...	2011	21278624
characterization and acceptor preference of a soluble meningococcal group c polysialyltransferase.	vaccines against neisseria meningitidis group c are based on its a-2,9-linked polysialic acid capsular polysaccharide. this polysialic acid expressed on the surface of n. meningitidis and in the absence of specific antibody serves to evade host defense mechanisms. the polysialyltransferase (pst) that forms the group c polysialic acid (nmc pst) is located in the cytoplasmic membrane. until recently, detailed characterization of bacterial polysialyltransferases has been hampered by a lack of avail ...	2011	21278299
detection of bacterial pathogens in mongolia meningitis surveillance with a new real-time pcr assay to detect haemophilus influenzae.	since the implementation of haemophilus influenzae (hi) serotype b vaccine, other serotypes and non-typeable strains have taken on greater importance as a cause of hi diseases. a rapid and accurate method is needed to detect all hi regardless of the encapsulation status. we developed 2 real-time pcr (rt-pcr) assays to detect specific regions of the protein d gene (hpd). both hpd assays are very specific and sensitive for detection of hi. of the 63 non-hi isolates representing 21 bacterial specie ...	2011	21276750
chlamydia trachomatis and the fitz-hugh-curtis syndrome.	right upper abdominal pain in the presence of pelvic inflammatory disease is called fitz-hugh-curtis syndrome. it is due to perihepatitis secondary to transperitoneal spread of neisseria gonorrhoeae or chlamydia trachomatis. twenty-five percent of all patients present with right upper abdominal pain as their sole complaint. in order to recognize and manage fitz-hugh-curtis syndrome, the clinician must carefully consider that young, sexually active women may have occult pelvic inflammatory diseas ...	1985	21274025
a case of sepsis and meningitis caused by probable travel-related neisseria meningitidis serogroup b infection: the first report of n. meningitidis st-4893 in japan.	herein we present a case of neisseria meningitidis-related sepsis and meningitis in a 60-year-old woman. the n. meningitidis strain was identified as serogroup b and sequence type (st)-4893 by multilocus sequence typing (mlst). the patient in this case had visited france prior to development of symptoms. no meningococcal isolate belonging to st-4893 has been identified in japan previously, whereas an st-4893 strain from france has been reported in the mlst database. these results strongly sugges ...	2011	21266758
urethral discharge in the male.	urethritis in the male is frequent, and is almost always sexually transmitted. it is classically divided into gonorrhea, and nongonococcal urethritis. by definition, men with gonorrhea have neisseria gonorrhoeae present, but approximately 20% also have chlamydia trachomatis. c. trachomatis is present in 30%-50% of men with acute nongonococcal urethritis. the specific etiologic diagnosis requires laboratory evaluation. recommended treatment for urethritis includes a one-week regimen of a tetracyc ...	1987	21263808
[dermatitis or arthritis as a sign of gonorrhoea].	disseminated gonococcal infection occurs in less than 5% of patients infected with neisseria gonorrhoeae. the majority of these patients present with arthritis, tenosynovitis, polyarthralgia or dermatitis. in this article we present two patients with disseminated gonococcal infection, each with different symptoms. the first patient, a 23-year-old woman, was suffering from erythema nodosum, chronic polyarthralgia and weight loss. the second patient, a 32-year-old woman, was suffering from arthrit ...	2011	21262023
single nucleotide polymorphisms in tlr9 are highly associated with susceptibility to bacterial meningitis in children.	bacterial meningitis (bm) is a severe infection mainly caused by streptococcus pneumoniae and neisseria meningitidis (nm). however, genetically determined susceptibility to develop severe infections by these microorganisms is variable between individuals. toll-like receptor 9 (tlr9) recognizes bacterial dna leading to intracellular inflammatory signaling. single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) within the tlr9 gene are associated with susceptibility to several diseases, no such association with m ...	2011	21258099
draft genome sequence of a dominant, multidrug-resistant neisseria gonorrhoeae strain, tcdc-ng08107, from a sexual group at high risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus infection and syphilis.	neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is the second major cause of sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. development of resistance to multiple classes of antimicrobials in n. gonorrhoeae has compromised treatment and disease control. herein, we report the availability of the draft genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant n. gonorrhoeae isolate, tcdc-ng08107, which spread in groups of men who have sex with men (msm) in taiwan.	2011	21257765
comparative analyses of the moraxella catarrhalis type-iv pilus structural subunit pila.	moraxella catarrhalis is a gram-negative aerobic diplococcus that is a mucosal pathogen of the upper and lower respiratory tracts in humans. in order to colonize the human host and establish an infection, m. catarrhalis must be able to effectively attach to the respiratory mucosal epithelia. although little is known about m. catarrhalis pathogenesis, our laboratory has previously shown that expression of type iv pili (tfp) contributes to mucosal colonization. tfp are filamentous surface appendag ...	2011	21256201
vaccine development against neisseria meningitidis.	meningococcal disease is communicable by close contact or droplet aerosols. striking features are high case fatality rates and peak incidences of invasive disease in infants, toddlers and adolescents. vaccine development is hampered by bacterial immune evasion strategies including molecular mimicry.as for haemophilus influenzae and streptococcus pneumoniae, no vaccine has therefore been developed that targets all serogroups of neisseria meningitidis. polysaccharide vaccines available both in pro ...	2011	21255369
vaccines for the poor: meningococcal a conjugate vaccine in africa.		2011	21255149
the neisseria gonorrhoeae photolyase orthologue phrb is required for proper dna supercoiling but does not function in photo-reactivation.	neisseria gonorrhoeae (gc) is an obligate human pathogen and the causative agent of the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhoea. despite the fact that the gonococcus is not normally exposed to uv irradiation or visible light, the bacterium expresses a phrb orthologue, which in other organisms encodes a dna photolyase that repairs uv-induced pyrimidine dimers with energy provided by visible light. we show that a gc phrb mutant is not more sensitive to uv irradiation, independent of visible lig ...	2010	21255115
development and clinical validation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for the rapid detection of neisseria meningitidis.	loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) is an innovative technique that allows the rapid detection of target nucleic acid sequences under isothermal conditions without the need for complex instrumentation. the development, optimization, and clinical validation of a lamp assay targeting the ctra gene for the rapid detection of capsular neisseria meningitidis were described. highly specific detection of capsular n. meningitidis type strains and clinical isolates was demonstrated, with no cro ...	2011	21251556
microbiological and epidemiological investigation of the neisseria meningitidis serogroup a epidemic in niger in 2009: last wave before the introduction of the serogroup a meningococcal conjugate vaccine?	summarythe 2009 meningitis season in niger was characterized by an early onset, beginning in the very first weeks of the year and peaking from the 12th to the 15th week with 5655 clinical cases over the 4 weeks. from 1 january 2009 to 28 june 2009 (week 26), a total of 13 733 clinical cases of meningitis were reported to the national epidemiological surveillance system with a case-fatality rate of 4·2%. during the season 25 of the 42 health districts reached the epidemic threshold and 11 the ale ...	2011	21251346
deep sequencing-based analysis of the anaerobic stimulon in neisseria gonorrhoeae.	maintenance of an anaerobic denitrification system in the obligate human pathogen, neisseria gonorrhoeae, suggests that an anaerobic lifestyle may be important during the course of infection. furthermore, mounting evidence suggests that reduction of host-produced nitric oxide has several immunomodulary effects on the host. however, at this point there have been no studies analyzing the complete gonococcal transcriptome response to anaerobiosis. here we performed deep sequencing to compare the go ...	2011	21251255
sexually transmitted cervicitis.	cervical infections with neisseria gonorrhoeae, chlamydia trachomatis, and herpes simplex virus are some of the most common sexually transmitted infections. they are often asymptomatic, and therefore the patient is at risk of developing complications, such as pelvic inflammatory disease. it is important to recognize cervicitis, investigate it appropriately, and provide early treatment. sexual partners must also be located and offered therapy to prevent re-infection in the index patient.	1989	21248969
suppressive effect of bacterial polysaccharides on baff system is responsible for their poor immunogenicity.	capsular polysaccharides of encapsulated bacteria are weakly immunogenic t cell-independent type 2 (ti-2) ags. recent findings suggest that baff system molecules have a critical role in the development of ab responses against ti-2 ags. in this study, we investigated the effect of bacterial polysaccharides on b cell responses to baff and a proliferation-inducing ligand (april). we determined that b cells exposed to meningococcal type c polysaccharide (mcps) or group b streptococcus serotype v (gb ...	2011	21248261