Interactions between β-haemolytic streptococci and the human host. Heart, skin and beyond.
Författare
Summary, in English
This thesis began investigating erysipelas and predominantly found GCS/GGS, but also GAS as important pathogens to erysipelas, (Paper I). To further investigate the disease panorama of GCS/GGS, the second study comprised cases of IE due to S. dysgalactiae from a nationwide registry. IE with S. dysgalactiae was found to have an acute onset of symptoms with substantial mortality and embolic event rate, (Paper II). Synergy between penicillin G and gentamicin was observed in some blood isolates of S. dysgalactiae. However, in most cases, penicillin G alone showed bactericidal action so strong, that any further killing action of gentamicin was difficult to detect.
Recurrent infections with S. dysgalactiae, involving erysipelas but also bacteraemia, are common. The cell surface attached M protein is an important virulence determinant for the bacteria. There are different M proteins which render an antigenic diversity and facilitate the bacteria’s evasion of the host defence system. In a prospectively based study, type-specific antibodies were developed in convalescent serum from patients with prior bacteraemia with S. dysgalactiae, (Paper III). However, further analysis with bactericidal and phagocytosis assays could not establish that these evolved antibodies opsonised the bacteria or enhanced the killing of the bacteria.
The quest for prognostic factors in bacteraemia with BHS is challenging. Time to positivity (TTP) from blood cultures may reflect bacterial concentration in blood and was identified as an independent prognostic factor for 30-day mortality in invasive infections due to both S. pyogenes and S. dysgalactiae respectively, (Paper IV and V).
All things considered, this thesis highlights the clinical and microbiological aspects of infections caused by BHS and their interactions with the human host. Recurrent infections due to the bacteria are common, and a lack of development of opsonising antibodies may partially explain the presence of recurrent bacteraemia with S. dysgalactiae.
Publiceringsår
2022
Språk
Engelska
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Lund University, Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
Issue
2022:116
Fulltext
Dokumenttyp
Doktorsavhandling
Förlag
Lund University, Faculty of Medicine
Ämne
- Infectious Medicine
- Microbiology in the medical area
Nyckelord
- β-haemolytic streptococci
- Streptococcus dysgalactiae
- Streptococcus pyogenes
- Erysipelas
- Infective endocarditis
- Antibiotic synergy
- Bacteraemia
- Time to positivity
Aktiv
Published
Forskningsgrupp
- Translational infection medicine
Handledare
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1652-8220
- ISBN: 978-91-8021-277-9
Försvarsdatum
16 september 2022
Försvarstid
09:00
Försvarsplats
Belfragesalen, BMC D15, Klinikgatan 32 i Lund. Join by Zoom: https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/68711073452
Opponent
- Steinar Skrede (Professor)