title: Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from middle ear fluid and nasopharynx of children with acute otitis media exhibit phase variation.
abstract: Pneumococcal phase variation of 37 middle ear and 31 nasopharyngeal isolates obtained from children with acute otitis media was examined in the absence of intervening culture. The fraction of the opaque colonies was significantly higher in middle ear isolates than in nasopharyngeal isolates. The difference is probably the result of the pneumococci adapting to differential selective environments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Muneki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hotomi
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hollingshead
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Briles
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000382:microbiology*; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial