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Host and Bacterial Determinants of Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Colonization in Humans

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Date Issued:
2014
Abstract/Description:
Staphylococcus aureus (SA), an opportunistic pathogen colonizing the anterior nares in approximately 30% of the human population, causes severe hospital-associated and community-acquired infections. SA nasal carriage plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections and SA eradication from the nares has proven to be effective in reducing endogenous infections. To understand SA nasal colonization and its relation with consequent disease, assessment of nasal carriage dynamics among a diverse population and determining factors responsible for SA nasal carriage have become major imperatives.Here, we report on an extensive longitudinal monitoring of SA nasal carriage in 109 healthy individuals over a period of up to three years to assess nasal carriage dynamics. Phylogenetic analyses of SA housekeeping genes and hypervariable virulence genes revealed that not only were SA strains colonizing intermittent and persistent nasal carriers genetically similar, but no preferential colonization of specific SA strains in these carriers was observed over time. These results indicated that other non-SA factors could be involved in determining specific carriage states. Therefore, to elucidate host responses during SA nasal carriage, we performed human SA nasal recolonization in a subset of SA nasal carriers within our cohort. In these studies, SA colonization levels were determined, and nasal secretions were collected and analyzed for host immune factors responsible for SA nasal carriage. Interestingly, we observed that stimulation of host immune responses lead to clearance of SA while sustained SA colonization was observed in hosts that did not mount a response during carriage. Further, analysis of nasal secretions from hosts revealed that proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines were significantly induced during SA nasal clearance suggesting that innate immune effectors influence carriage.SA utilizes a repertoire of surface and secreted proteins to evade host immune response and successfully colonize the nose. Analysis of the most abundant immunoevasive proteins in the exoproteome of SA nasal carrier strains revealed that expression levels of Staphylococcal protein A (SPA) produced by SA nasal carrier strains in vitro corresponded to the level of persistence of SA in the human nose. To determine if SPA is involved in modulating the host's response to SA colonization, a subset of participants in our cohort was nasally recolonized with equal concentrations of both wild-type (WT) and spa-disrupted (?spa) autologous strains of SA. Interestingly, ?spa strains were eliminated from the nares significantly faster than WT when the host mounted an immune response, suggesting that the immunoevasive role of SPA is a determinant of carriage persistence. Collectively, this report augments our understanding of SA nasal carriage dynamics, in addition to identifying important host and microbial determinants that influence SA nasal colonization in humans. Better understanding of this phenomenon can lead to improved preventative strategies to thwart carriage-associated SA infections.
Title: Host and Bacterial Determinants of Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Colonization in Humans.
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Name(s): Muthukrishnan, Gowrishankar, Author
Cole, Alexander, Committee Chair
Moore, Sean, Committee Member
Self, William, Committee Member
Parkinson, Christopher, Committee Member
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2014
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Staphylococcus aureus (SA), an opportunistic pathogen colonizing the anterior nares in approximately 30% of the human population, causes severe hospital-associated and community-acquired infections. SA nasal carriage plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections and SA eradication from the nares has proven to be effective in reducing endogenous infections. To understand SA nasal colonization and its relation with consequent disease, assessment of nasal carriage dynamics among a diverse population and determining factors responsible for SA nasal carriage have become major imperatives.Here, we report on an extensive longitudinal monitoring of SA nasal carriage in 109 healthy individuals over a period of up to three years to assess nasal carriage dynamics. Phylogenetic analyses of SA housekeeping genes and hypervariable virulence genes revealed that not only were SA strains colonizing intermittent and persistent nasal carriers genetically similar, but no preferential colonization of specific SA strains in these carriers was observed over time. These results indicated that other non-SA factors could be involved in determining specific carriage states. Therefore, to elucidate host responses during SA nasal carriage, we performed human SA nasal recolonization in a subset of SA nasal carriers within our cohort. In these studies, SA colonization levels were determined, and nasal secretions were collected and analyzed for host immune factors responsible for SA nasal carriage. Interestingly, we observed that stimulation of host immune responses lead to clearance of SA while sustained SA colonization was observed in hosts that did not mount a response during carriage. Further, analysis of nasal secretions from hosts revealed that proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines were significantly induced during SA nasal clearance suggesting that innate immune effectors influence carriage.SA utilizes a repertoire of surface and secreted proteins to evade host immune response and successfully colonize the nose. Analysis of the most abundant immunoevasive proteins in the exoproteome of SA nasal carrier strains revealed that expression levels of Staphylococcal protein A (SPA) produced by SA nasal carrier strains in vitro corresponded to the level of persistence of SA in the human nose. To determine if SPA is involved in modulating the host's response to SA colonization, a subset of participants in our cohort was nasally recolonized with equal concentrations of both wild-type (WT) and spa-disrupted (?spa) autologous strains of SA. Interestingly, ?spa strains were eliminated from the nares significantly faster than WT when the host mounted an immune response, suggesting that the immunoevasive role of SPA is a determinant of carriage persistence. Collectively, this report augments our understanding of SA nasal carriage dynamics, in addition to identifying important host and microbial determinants that influence SA nasal colonization in humans. Better understanding of this phenomenon can lead to improved preventative strategies to thwart carriage-associated SA infections.
Identifier: CFE0005673 (IID), ucf:50173 (fedora)
Note(s): 2014-08-01
Ph.D.
Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences
Doctoral
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): Staphylococcus aureus -- Nasal Colonization -- Infectious disease -- Host-pathogen interactions -- Phylogenetics
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005673
Restrictions on Access: campus 2020-02-15
Host Institution: UCF

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