title: Enterococcal surface protein transiently aggravates Enterococcus faecium-induced urinary tract infection in mice.
abstract: The role that the enterococcal surface protein Esp plays in the capacity of Enterococcus faecium to adhere to uroepithelial cells and the role that it plays in urinary tract infection and peritonitis was investigated in vitro and in vivo, respectively, using Esp-expressing E. faecium (E1162) and its isogenic Esp-deficient mutant (E1162 Delta esp). Esp expression enhanced in vitro binding to bladder and kidney epithelial cells. In mice, higher numbers of E1162 were cultured from kidneys and bladders after the induction of urinary tract infection, compared with E1162 Delta esp numbers. This was accompanied by a higher frequency of bacteremia, higher cytokine levels in kidney tissue, and renal insufficiency. Esp had no effect on the course of E. faecium peritonitis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. m.leendertse@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Masja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leendertse
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heikens
authors.forename: Lucas M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wijnands
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Luit-Asbroek
authors.forename: Gwendoline J D
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Teske
authors.forename: Joris J T H
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Roelofs
authors.forename: Marc J M
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bonten
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van der Poll
authors.forename: Rob J L
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Willems
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity*; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D011485:Protein Binding; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C116707:enterococcal surface protein, esp