title: Influenza A virus induced bacterial otitis media is independent of virus tropism for α2,6-linked sialic acid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Otitis media (OM) affects ≥80% of children before the age of three. OM can arise following co-infection with influenza A virus (IAV) and the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. We have previously shown that H3 IAV strains (such as Udorn/72) induced a higher rate of bacterial OM than H1 strains (such as PR8/34). This was associated with more efficient replication of H3 strains in the middle ear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we assess if the increased replication of IAV strains such as Udorn/72 in the middle ear is dependent upon the binding of the viral HA to α2,6-linked sialic acid. Using murine and in vitro models, the present study shows that recognition of α2,6-linked sialic acid was not required to facilitate bacterial OM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, these data suggest that other features of the HA mediate bacterial OM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia. kirsty_short@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kirsty R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Short
authors.forename: Marrit N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Habets
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: Patrick C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Reading
authors.forename: Dimitri A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Diavatopoulos
authors.forename: Odilia L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Wijburg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000472:pathogenicity; D056189:Viral Tropism; D053585:Virus Attachment; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid