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Volume 6
Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy
ISSN: 2332-0877
Infection Congress 2018
March 01-02, 2018
March 01-02, 2018 Berlin, Germany
5
th
International Congress on
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The influence of mucus on
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and how this impacts bacterial colonisation of
the human nasopharynx
Jack Vojak
Liverpool University School of Medicine, UK
M
orbidity and mortality caused by
Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a global issue affecting all age groups from every walk of
life. Disproportionately high levels of pneumococcal disease are associated with abnormalities of nasopharyngeal mucus
production. Additionally, an association between viral co-infection and increased pneumococcal pathogenicity has been
observed. Pneumococcal disease requires the bacterial colonisation of the human nasopharynx; without which colonisation
and disease cannot occur. Despite this, colonisation does not inevitably result in disease. In order to understand why this may
be, it is essential to understand the roles of immune factors at the epithelial barrier with regards to colonisation and how this
progresses to invasive disease. Using an experimental human pneumococcal carriage model, colonisation in the nasopharynx
of human volunteers was studied to elucidate the dynamic relationship between pneumococcus and the immune responses
present at the epithelial barrier. To achieve this, quantification of MUC5AC, a key glycoprotein found in the mucus of the
nasopharynx, was performed. This was done in the presence of attenuated viral co-infection in participants who were carriage
positive or negative for pneumococcus. Additionally, the direct killing effect of secretorymucus wasmeasured on pneumococcal
colonies. Finally, we assessed the impact of secretory mucus on pneumococcal adherence to a living population of cells. We
found there no killing effect of mucus on pneumococcus (p=0.20) and instead found the mucus to significantly increase
bacterial replication. Secretory mucus was also found to possess barrier properties. These properties significantly reduced the
proportion of pneumococcus in an environment from adhering to a living cell layer (P<0.001). Finally, our study indicated no
relationship between raised MUC5AC levels and pneumococcal carriage with attenuated viral co-infection (P>0.05). Mucins
role in pneumococcal colonisation is not yet well characterized. The study concluded that further investigation into the effect
of mucus will be vital in fully understanding the immunological processes at play. Only then therapies can better target invasive
pneumococcal disease and reduce the impact of this globally significant pathogen.
Biography
Jack Vojak is medical student pursuing his final year in medical school at University of Liverpool. He completed his MSc at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
where he studied biology and control of parasites and disease vectors. During his time at the school, he undertook research into the host pathogen relationship
between the infectious bacterial pathogen
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and the human nasopharynx.
hljvojak@liv.ac.ukJack Vojak, J Infect Dis Ther 2018, Volume 6
DOI: 10.4172/2332-0877-C1-039