Microbiol. Rev., Jun 1996, 267-279, Vol 60, No. 2
TF Murphy
Over the past decade, Branhamella catarrhalis has emerged as an important
human pathogen. The bacterium is a common cause of otitis media in children
and of lower respiratory tract infections in adults with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. B. catarrhalis is exclusively a human
pathogen. It colonizes the respiratory tract of a small proportion of
adults and a larger proportion of children. Studies involving restriction
enzyme analysis of genomic DNA show that colonization is a dynamic process,
with the human host eliminating and acquiring new strains frequently. The
surface of B. catarrhalis contains outer membrane proteins,
lipooligosaccharide, and pili. The genes which encode several outer
membrane proteins have been cloned, and some of these proteins are being
studied as potential vaccine antigens. Analysis of the immune response has
been limited by the lack of an adequate animal model of B. catarrhalis
infection. New information regarding outer membrane structure should guide
studies of the human immune response to B. catarrhalis. Immunoassays which
specifically detect antibodies to determinants exposed on the bacterial
surface will elucidate the most relevant immune response. The recognition
of B. catarrhalis as an important human pathogen has stimulated research on
the epidemiology and surface structures of the bacterium. Future studies to
understand the mechanisms of infection and to elucidate the human immune
response to infection hold promise of developing new methods to treat and
prevent infections caused by B. catarrhalis.
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology
Branhamella catarrhalis: epidemiology, surface antigenic structure, and immune response
Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA. cammurph@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
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