Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
12
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-12-9
pubmed:abstractText
Despite being the agent of life-threatening meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis is usually carried asymptomatically in the nasopharynx of humans and only occasionally causes disease. The genetic bases for virulence have not been entirely elucidated and the search for new virulence factors in this species is hampered by the lack of an animal model representative of the human disease. As an alternative strategy we employ a molecular epidemiological approach to establish a statistical association of a candidate virulence gene with disease in the human population. We examine the distribution of a previously-identified genetic element, a temperate bacteriophage, in 1288 meningococci isolated from cases of disease and asymptomatic carriage. The phage was over-represented in disease isolates from young adults indicating that it may contribute to invasive disease in this age group. Further statistical analysis indicated that between 20% and 45% of the pathogenic potential of the five most common disease-causing meningococcal groups was linked to the presence of the phage. In the absence of an animal model of human disease, this molecular epidemiological approach permitted the estimation of the influence of the candidate virulence factor. Such an approach is particularly valuable in the investigation of exclusively human diseases.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:commentsCorrections
http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-10368953, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-11101585, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-12044380, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-15007100, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-15353570, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-15967821, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-16698301, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-16772416, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-16949772, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-18305155, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-3016146, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-415097, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-4977280, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-4977281, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-9224886, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-9501229, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19065260-9674888
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
1932-6203
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
3
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
e3885
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-11-18
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
Association of a bacteriophage with meningococcal disease in young adults.
pubmed:affiliation
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't