%0 Journal Article
%T Haemophilus influenzae and the lung (Haemophilus and the lung)
%A Paul King
%J Clinical and Translational Medicine
%D 2012
%I Springer
%R 10.1186/2001-1326-1-10
%X Haemophilus influenzae was first identified by Pfeiffer in 1892, who (incorrectly) believed it was the cause of influenza [1]. It is an exclusively human pathogen and was the first bacterium to have its genome completely sequenced. This served as a precursor to the sequencing of the human genome.H. influenzae is a component of the normal upper respiratory tract flora and is well recognized to be an important cause of systemic infection. It is also a major cause of a variety of respiratory conditions and has had a relatively low profile in this respect in comparison to some other pathogens; such as Mycobacterium tuberculosisand Streptococcuspneumoniae.Recently there has been increasing recognition that this bacterium has a role in chronic lower respiratory tract inflammation. However the interaction between H. influenzae and the lung is still not well defined. A combination of bacterial pathogenic features and deficiency of host defense may permit this bacterium to establish infection in the lower respiratory tract resulting in inflammation and clinical disease. This review will discuss the role of H. influenzae in the lower respiratory tract in particular its role in bronchitis.Haemophilus influenzae is a gram-negative coccobacillus with a variable shape (pleomorphic). It grows both aerobically and anaerobically. Aerobic growth requires the presence of X (hemin) and V (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)) factors. In the laboratory it is classically grown on chocolate agar (Figure£¿1).Haemophilus influenzae is divided into typeable and nontypeable strains on the presence or absence of a polysaccharide capsule. The typeable strains which have this capsule are classified into six serotypes (designated a to f) based on their ability to react with antisera against recognized polysaccharide capsules [2,3]. The type b form of H. influenzae (designated as Hib) is the most prominent typeable form and its capsule is composed of a linear ribosyl and ribotol phosphage polym
%U http://www.clintransmed.com/content/1/1/10