Role of capsule in Klebsiella pneumoniae virulence: lack of correlation between in vitro and in vivo studies

Carsten Struve, Karen Angeliki Krogfelt

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

In vitro and in vivo models were used to investigate the role of capsule on the virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae. We showed that capsule expression reduces dramatically the ability of the K. pneumoniae to bind to epithelial cells when compared to its non-capsulated variant. The presence/absence of capsule had no effect on the colonization of the gastrointestinal tract, while in the urinary tract we established that capsule is an important virulence factor. Our study demonstrates the caution needed when extrapolating from results of in vitro studies and emphasizes the necessity of in vivo models in studies of bacterial virulence.
Original languageUndefined/Unknown
JournalFEMS Microbiology Letters
Volume218
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)149-154
Number of pages6
ISSN0378-1097
Publication statusPublished - 2003
Externally publishedYes

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