The adhesins of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae.

The adhesins of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2018 Feb 08;: Authors: Osman KL, Jefferies JM, Woelk CH, Cleary DW, Clarke SC Abstract INTRODUCTION: Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an opportunistic pathogen of the respiratory tract and the greatest contributor to invasive Haemophilus disease. Additionally, in children, NTHi is responsible for the majority of otitis media (OM) which can lead to chronic infection and hearing loss. In adults, NTHi infection in the lungs is responsible for the onset of acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine available to protect against NTHi infections. Areas covered: NTHi uses an arsenal of adhesins to colonise the respiratory epithelium. The adhesins also have secondary roles that aid in the virulence of NTHi, including mechanisms that avoid immune clearance, adjust pore size to avoid antimicrobial destruction, form micro-colonies and invoke phase variation for protein mediation. Bacterial adhesins can also be ideal antigens for subunit vaccine design due to surface exposure and immunogenic capabilities. Expert commentary: The host-pathogen interactions of the NTHi adhesins are not fully investigated. The relationship between adhesins and the extracellular matrix (ECM) play a part in the success of NTHi colonisation and virulence by immune evasion, migration and biofilm development....
Source: Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther Source Type: research