title: Cystic fibrosis: an inherited susceptibility to bacterial respiratory infections.
abstract: Cystic fibrosis is a severe monogenic disorder of ion transport in exocrine glands. The basic defect predisposes to chronic bacterial airway infections with Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia. The Pseudomonas infections in cystic fibrosis are a paradigm of how versatile environmental bacteria can conquer, adapt and persist in an atypical habitat and successfully evade defence mechanisms and chemotherapy in a susceptible host. Regular chemotherapy with aerosol and systemic antipseudomonal drugs has improved the course and prognosis of the disease, and research for effective vaccines is on the way.
authors.affiliation: Klinische Forschergruppe, Zentrum Biochemie und Zentrum Kinderheilkunde, OE 6711, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, D-30623 Hannover, Germany. tuemmler.burkhard@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tümmler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kiewitz
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D016956:Burkholderia cepacia / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011859:Radiography; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C505032:CFTR protein, human; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator