title: Virulence of pneumococcal proteins on the inner ear.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of the virulence characteristics of specific pneumococcal proteins on the inner ear.
  
  
  METHODS
  A histologic comparison of inflammatory cell infiltration and pathologic changes in the round window membrane and inner ear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the animals inoculated with high-dose pneumolysin or wild-type bacteria showed severe pathologic changes of the inner ears. The inner ears of most animals inoculated with surface protein A or surface antigen A-deficient bacteria appeared normal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pneumococcal surface protein A and pneumococcal surface antigen A are 2 important virulence factors in inner ear damage secondary to pneumococcal otitis media. Mutation of these virulence factors results in less inner ear damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. schac002@tc.umn.edu
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Schachern
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tsuprun
authors.forename: Sebahattin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cureoglu
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrieri
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Briles
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Paparella
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Juhn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002682:Chinchilla; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000382:microbiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology; D012405:Round Window, Ear / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C051592:pneumococcal surface protein A