title: Heterogeneity of virulence-related properties in Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from patients with haematological malignancies.
abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular foodborne pathogen of humans and animals for which there are indications of virulence differences among strains. Various virulence properties related to different phases of infection process were investigated in L. monocytogenes strains isolated from patients affected by haematological malignancies. In these isolates, besides to the clinical history, we analysed the haemolysin production, the survival to acidic pH, the ability to enter and proliferate in human intestinal-like and human macrophagic-like cells, as well as the allelic polymorphism of the actA gene involved intracellular movement. A general heterogeneity in the virulence properties was detected which did not appear correlated with the clinical outcome of listeriosis but more probably was influenced by the status of the immune defence of the host.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Longhi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Penta
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Girmenia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seganti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D014774:Virulence / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C072980:actA protein, Listeria monocytogenes