Project description:Influenza A virus (IAV) predisposes individuals to secondary infections with the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus). Infections may manifest as pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis or otitis media (OM). It remains controversial as to whether secondary pneumococcal disease is due to the induction of an aberrant immune response or IAV induced immunosuppression. Moreover, as the majority of studies have been performed in the context of pneumococcal pneumonia, it remains unclear how far these findings can be extrapolated to other pneumococcal disease phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate that the viral hemagglutinin (HA) mediates bacterial OM by inducing a pro-inflammatory response in the middle ear cavity in a replication-dependent manner. Importantly, our findings show that it is the inflammatory response that mediates pneumococcal replication; not viral suppression of the immune system or epithelial damage. This study provide the first evidence that HA induced inflammation drives pneumococcal replication in the middle ear cavity, which has important consequences to the treatment of pneumococcal OM.

2013-01-01 | GSE41098 | GEO

Shortened Antimicrobial Treatment for Acute Otitis Media in Young Children.

Project description: Not available

| S-EPMC5319589 | biostudies-literature

Reduced-Concentration Clavulanate for Young Children with Acute Otitis Media.

Project description: Not available

| S-EPMC5487636 | biostudies-literature

Grommets (ventilation tubes) for recurrent acute otitis media in children.

Project description: Not available

| S-EPMC6494623 | biostudies-literature