title: Differences of pathophysiology in experimental meningitis caused by three strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
abstract: Differences in cytochemical and pathophysiologic abnormalities in experimental meningitis caused by pneumococcal strains A, B, and C were determined. Strain C produced the most severe abnormalities of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of lactate (P less than .01), protein (P less than .02), and glucose (P less than .01), CSF white blood cell count (P less than .04), cerebral blood flow (P less than .02), and clinical signs (P less than .05). Brain edema occurred only with strains A anc C, with no association with disease severity; intracranial hypertension was also independent of disease severity. Strain B, not C, achieved the highest bacterial titers in the CSF (P less than .005). The widely different abilities of strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae to induce intracranial abnormalities suggest that virulence determinants affect not only evasion of defense during colonization and invasion, as shown in other models, but also determine the course of disease once infection has been established. Differences of cell-wall metabolism among pneumococcal strains may play a role in this latter phase of the development of meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Medical Service, San Francisco General Hospital, California 94110.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Täuber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burroughs
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Niemöller
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuster
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Borschberg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tuomanen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000209:etiology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000502:physiology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005947:Glucose / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D007773:Lactates / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D007773:Lactates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005947:Glucose