title: Experimental Klebsiella pneumoniae burn wound sepsis: role of capsular polysaccharide.
abstract: The role of Klebsiella pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide in relation to virulence in a murine burn wound sepsis model was investigated. Burn trauma markedly predisposed mice to lethal K. pneumoniae sepsis. A highly encapsulated variant (KP1-O) derived from K. pneumoniae KP1 was found to be extremely virulent for burned mice (50% lethal dose less than 10 organisms), whereas another variant (KP1-T), which possessed a much smaller capsule, was comparatively nonvirulent (50% lethal dose greater than 10(6) organisms). Production of large quantities of capsular material by KP1-O allowed for its rapid growth in vivo and persistence in the blood and liver. These traits were not demonstrated by KP1-T, which was effectively cleared after challenge.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D051379:Mice; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D014774:Virulence; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides