title: Molecular pathogenesis of Klebsiella pneumoniae.
abstract: Typical Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen, which mostly affects those with weakened immune systems and tends to cause nosocomial infections. A subset of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae serotypes with elevated production of capsule polysaccharide can affect previously healthy persons and cause life-threatening community-acquired infections, such as pyogenic liver abscess, meningitis, necrotizing fasciitis, endophthalmitis and severe pneumonia. K. pneumoniae utilizes a variety of virulence factors, especially capsule polysaccharide, lipopolysaccharide, fimbriae, outer membrane proteins and determinants for iron acquisition and nitrogen source utilization, for survival and immune evasion during infection. This article aims to present the state-of-the-art understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of K. pneumoniae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yuling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Changting
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhenhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000378:metabolism; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D012703:Serotyping; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011134:Polysaccharides; D037521:Virulence Factors; D007501:Iron; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Klebsiella pneumoniae; pathogenesis; virulence determinants