title: Interaction between Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus in paediatric patients suffering from an underlying chronic disease.
abstract: Little is known about the interaction between Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus in school-age children and adolescents suffering from an underlying chronic disease. To increase our knowledge in this regard, an oropharyngeal swab was obtained from school-age children and adolescents suffering from asthma (n = 423), cystic fibrosis (CF) (n = 212) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) (n = 296). S. pneumoniae detection and serotyping were performed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction, and S. aureus detection was performed using the RIDAGENE MRSA system. Among asthmatic, CF and DM1 patients, both pathogens were identified in 65/423 (15.4%), 21/212 (9.9%) and 62/296 (20.9%) children, respectively; S. pneumoniae alone was identified in 127/434 (30.0%), 21/212 (9.9%) and 86/296 (29.1%), respectively; S. aureus alone was identified in 58/434 (13.7%), 78/212 (36.8%) and 49/296 (16.6%), respectively. S. pneumoniae colonisation rates were higher in younger children and declined with age, whereas the frequency of S. aureus colonisation was quite similar in the different age groups. Among asthmatic and CF patients aged 6-9 years, S. aureus carriage was significantly higher in children who were positive for S. pneumoniae (P <0.05). No significant association emerged between S. aureus carriage and carriage of S. pneumoniae serotypes included in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). This study shows for the first time that school-age children and adolescents with asthma, CF and DM1 are frequently colonised by S. pneumoniae and S. aureus and that no negative relationship seems to exist between these pathogens. Moreover, the supposed protection offered by PCV administration against S. aureus colonisation was not demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy susanna.esposito@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, University of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico "S. Matteo" Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Marseglia
authors.affiliation: Cystic Fibrosis Center, Lombardia Region, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iughetti
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Terranova
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ierardi
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gambino
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Principi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
keywords: Staphylococcus aureus; Streptococcus pneumoniae; pneumococcal colonisation; pneumococcal conjugate vaccine; staphylococcal colonisation