title: Host defense and pathogenesis in Staphylococcus aureus infections.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus is the most abundant cause of bacterial infections in the United States. As such, the pathogen has devised means to circumvent destruction by the innate immune system. Neutrophils are a critical component of innate immunity and the primary cellular defense against S aureus infections. This article reviews human neutrophil function in the context of S aureus virulence mechanisms and provides an overview of community-associated methicillin-resistant S aureus pathogenicity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA. fdeleo@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: DeLeo
authors.forename: Binh An
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Diep
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otto
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors