Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae: the role of N-acetyl-5-neuraminic acid in biology.
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an exclusive human pathogen, which has evolved a number of unique mechanisms to survive within the human environment. An important part of this is the ability of the organism to take up and incorporate sialic acid into its surface structures. This protects the organism against host adaptive and innate immune factor as well as serving as a mechanism for sustaining itself within biofilms. Recent evidence suggests that this also may be the source of the evolution of human antibodies to non-human sialic acid structures, which can lead to inflammation in the host. In very rare instances, evolution of antibodies to sialylated lipooligosaccharide (LOS) mimics of human antigens can result in autoimmune disease.
Departments of Microbiology and Internal Medicine, The Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City IA, USA. michael-apicella@uiowa.edu
Michael A
MA
Apicella
D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D057131:Immune Evasion; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*
D012794:Sialic Acids