title: Lactobacilli - bacteria-host interactions with special regard to the urogenital tract.
abstract: Lactobacilli are part of the commensal human mucosal flora. Their application as probiotics in dairy products such as yoghurt has increased during the last century since a health promoting effect has been reported. Much work has been done to study the effects of these bacteria on the immune system and epithelial cells, mainly focused on the intestinal mucosa as the field of first contact. This review is aimed to present and discuss results concerning interactions of lactobacilli and immune system or epithelial cells with focus to urogenital mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum der Universität München, Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie - Innenstadt, Frauenlobstr. 9-11, D-8033 7 München, Germany. kathrin.merk@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Merk
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borelli
authors.forename: Hans Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Korting
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*