Role of intracellular pathogens in respiratory tract infections

Atypical pathogens and respiratory tract infections.

The atypical respiratory pathogens Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila are now recognised as a significant cause of acute respiratory-tract infections, implicated in community-acquired pneumonia, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, asthma, and less frequently, upper respiratory-tract infections. Chronic infection with C. pneumoniae is common among patie...

Fungal Infections of Respiratory Tract-Final Section

Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Coccidioides immitis, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, and Penicillium marneffei are endemic dimorphic fungi that may infect the respiratory tract. Sporothrix schenkeii, which manifests the typical thermal dimorphism of the endemic dimorphic organisms, does not seem to follow a geographically defined endemic pattern of distribution...

Trends in bacterial pathogens of lower respiratory tract infections.

OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to determine the bacterial aetiology of lower respiratory tract infections in this environment as well as update the clinicians in the various antimicrobial alternatives available in the treatment. METHODS Between September 2002 and February 2005, 157 bacterial pathogens from 556 patients with lower respiratory tract infections were isolated from sputum spe...

Pathogens involved in lower respiratory tract infections in general practice.

BACKGROUND There are few investigations into the aetiology of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in general practice. AIM To describe the aetiology of LRTI among adult patients in general practice in The Netherlands. DESIGN OF STUDY Prospective observational study. SETTING General practices in the Leiden region, The Netherlands. METHOD Adult patients with a defined LRTI were inc...

MUCOSAL IMMUNITY IN THE RESPIRATORY TRACT: THE ROLE OF IgA IN PROTECTION AGAINST INTRACELLULAR PATHOGENS