BACKGROUND: Otitis media is an extremely common pediatric infection and is mostly caused by bacteria that are carried within the nasopharyngeal microbiota. It is clear that most otitis media cases involve simultaneous infection with multiple agents. METHODS: Chinchillas were infected with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or a combination of both organisms, and the course of disease was compared. In vitro experiments were also performed to address how coinfection impacts biofilm formation. RESULTS: The incidence of systemic disease was reduced in coinfected animals, compared with those infected with pneumococcus alone. Pneumococci were present within surface-attached biofilms in coinfected animals, and a greater proportion of translucent colony type was observed in the coinfected animals. Because this colony type has been associated with pneumococcal biofilms, the impact of coinfection on pneumococcal biofilm formation was investigated. The results clearly show enhanced biofilm formation in vitro by pneumococci in the presence of H. influenzae. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these data, we conclude that coinfection with H. influenzae facilitates pneumococcal biofilm formation and persistence on the middle ear mucosal surface. This enhanced biofilm persistence correlates with delayed emergence of opaque colony variants within the bacterial population and a resulting decrease in systemic infection.
BACKGROUND:Otitis media is an extremely common pediatric infection and is mostly caused by bacteria that are carried within the nasopharyngeal microbiota. It is clear that most otitis media cases involve simultaneous infection with multiple agents. METHODS:Chinchillas were infected with nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or a combination of both organisms, and the course of disease was compared. In vitro experiments were also performed to address how coinfection impacts biofilm formation. RESULTS: The incidence of systemic disease was reduced in coinfected animals, compared with those infected with pneumococcus alone. Pneumococci were present within surface-attached biofilms in coinfected animals, and a greater proportion of translucent colony type was observed in the coinfected animals. Because this colony type has been associated with pneumococcal biofilms, the impact of coinfection on pneumococcal biofilm formation was investigated. The results clearly show enhanced biofilm formation in vitro by pneumococci in the presence of H. influenzae. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these data, we conclude that coinfection with H. influenzae facilitates pneumococcal biofilm formation and persistence on the middle ear mucosal surface. This enhanced biofilm persistence correlates with delayed emergence of opaque colony variants within the bacterial population and a resulting decrease in systemic infection.
Authors: H Tettelin; K E Nelson; I T Paulsen; J A Eisen; T D Read; S Peterson; J Heidelberg; R T DeBoy; D H Haft; R J Dodson; A S Durkin; M Gwinn; J F Kolonay; W C Nelson; J D Peterson; L A Umayam; O White; S L Salzberg; M R Lewis; D Radune; E Holtzapple; H Khouri; A M Wolf; T R Utterback; C L Hansen; L A McDonald; T V Feldblyum; S Angiuoli; T Dickinson; E K Hickey; I E Holt; B J Loftus; F Yang; H O Smith; J C Venter; B A Dougherty; D A Morrison; S K Hollingshead; C M Fraser Journal: Science Date: 2001-07-20 Impact factor: 47.728
Authors: Wenzhou Hong; Kevin Mason; Joseph Jurcisek; Laura Novotny; Lauren O Bakaletz; W Edward Swords Journal: Infect Immun Date: 2006-11-27 Impact factor: 3.441
Authors: Claudia Trappetti; Aras Kadioglu; Melissa Carter; Jasvinder Hayre; Francesco Iannelli; Gianni Pozzi; Peter W Andrew; Marco R Oggioni Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2009-05-15 Impact factor: 5.226
Authors: Sean D Reid; Wenzhou Hong; Kristin E Dew; Dana R Winn; Bing Pang; James Watt; David T Glover; Susan K Hollingshead; W Edward Swords Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2009-03-15 Impact factor: 5.226
Authors: L L Greiner; H Watanabe; N J Phillips; J Shao; A Morgan; A Zaleski; B W Gibson; M A Apicella Journal: Infect Immun Date: 2004-07 Impact factor: 3.441
Authors: Timothy F Murphy; Tasnee Chonmaitree; Stephen Barenkamp; Jennelle Kyd; Johanna Nokso-Koivisto; Janak A Patel; Terho Heikkinen; Noboru Yamanaka; Pearay Ogra; W Edward Swords; Tania Sih; Melinda M Pettigrew Journal: Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Date: 2013-04 Impact factor: 3.497
Authors: Guillermo L Monroy; Paritosh Pande; Ryan M Nolan; Ryan L Shelton; Ryan G Porter; Michael A Novak; Darold R Spillman; Eric J Chaney; Daniel T McCormick; Stephen A Boppart Journal: J Biomed Opt Date: 2017-12 Impact factor: 3.170