| enhanced surveillance scheme for suspected meningococcal disease in five regional health authorities in england: 1998. | enhanced surveillance of meningococcal disease (esmd) began in five english regions on 1st january 1998. the aims of the scheme were to obtain accurate incidence data and develop a robust surveillance system with which to monitor the impact of a new meningococcal serogroup c conjugate vaccine. during 1998, 2,314 suspected cases of meningococcal disease were identified. the majority (84%) was classified as invasive meningococcal disease, with infection of n. meningitidis confirmed in 66%. sixteen ... | 2002 | 12434690 |
| genetic analysis of capsular status of meningococcal carrier isolates. | the meningococcal capsule is the primary virulence factor with systemic isolates requiring full expression of the capsule but with capability to down-regulate the capsule in order to invade. the meningococcal capsular operon is composed of a number of genes that are involved in capsular synthesis and transport. differences in capsular synthesis genes may allow discrimination between meningococcal serogroups whereas absence of genes for either synthesis or transport imply that the meningococcus i ... | 2003 | 12613746 |
| factor h, a regulator of complement activity, is a major determinant of meningococcal disease susceptibility in uk caucasian patients. | defence against neisseria meningitidis involves complement-mediated bactericidal activity. factor h (fh) down-regulates complement activation. a putatively functional single-nucleotide-polymorphism (snp) exists within a presumed nuclear-factor-kappa-b responsive element (nf-kb) in the fh gene (c-496t). genetic and functional investigations were carried out to determine whether c-496t has a role in meningococcal disease (md) susceptibility. genetic susceptibility was investigated in 2 independent ... | 2006 | 16938729 |
| 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 |
| the distribution and 'in vivo' phase variation status of haemoglobin receptors in invasive meningococcal serogroup b disease: genotypic and phenotypic analysis. | two haemoglobin-binding proteins, hmbr and hpuab, contribute to iron acquisition by neisseria meningitidis. these receptors are subject to high frequency, reversible switches in gene expression--phase variation (pv)--due to mutations in homopolymeric (poly-g) repeats present in the open reading frame. the distribution and pv state of these receptors was assessed for a representative collection of isolates from invasive meningococcal disease patients of england, wales and northern ireland. most o ... | 2013 | 24098814 |