title: Role of Staphylococcus protease in the development of influenza pneumonia.
abstract: In influenza the combined virus-bacterial pneumonia is approximately three times more common than primary viral pneumonia. The bacteria most commonly involved are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. S. aureus co-infection is reported to have a fatality rate of up to 42% (ref. 2). It is thought that virus infection in the respiratory tract favours growth conditions for bacteria. In this letter data are presented which show that some S. aureus strains secrete a protease which exerts a decisive influence on the outcome of influenza virus infection in mice by cleavage activation of the virus haemagglutinin.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000201:enzymology; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D010450:Endopeptidases