Pathogenesis
Abc remains an opportunistic pathogen that typically causes serious infection in immune-compromised hosts. The organism is encapsulated and has a cell wall containing lipopolysaccharides, but the effect of the lipopolysaccharides in humans is not well-understood.[42] There are few published studies that have examined the potential virulence factors of Abc. It is likely that several factors contribute to the transition from colonizer to invasive bacteria.
A recent review by Jolly-Guillou described the current literature regarding this topic.[42] One highlighted virulence factor was exopolysaccharide production, which is known to protect bacteria from the host's immune response.[42,43] Thirty percent of Abc strains produce exopolysaccharides, and studies in mice have demonstrated that strains producing exopolysaccharides are more virulent than nonproducing strains.[42,43] However, their role in human infection remains unknown.
© 2007 Medscape
Cite this: Acinetobacter Pneumonia: A Review - Medscape - Jul 05, 2007.
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