Genetic diversity of PspA types among nasopharyngeal isolates collected during an ongoing surveillance study of children in Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) has been considered a potential candidate for human vaccines because of its serotype-independent protective immunity. Nasopharyngeal (NP) pneumococcal colonization is highly prevalent in infants and precedes the invasive disease. Thus, prevention of NP colonization may reduce the burden of pneumococcal disease in children. Scarce information focusing on PspA from pneumococcal carriage in humans is available. We examined the genetic diversity of PspA from NP isolates obtained during an ongoing pneumococcal surveillance study with children. PspA families and clades of 183 community-acquired Streptococcus pneumoniae NP isolates from healthy children (n = 97) and children with respiratory tract infections (n = 48), pneumonia (n = 33), or meningitis (n = 5)

SUBMITTER: Pimenta FC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1594641 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature