Citrobacter freundii

Article about citrobacter freundii characteristics.

Neonatal bacterial meningitis remains a disease with unacceptable rates of morbidity and mortality despite the availability of effective antibiotic therapy. Citrobacter freundii bacterias cause neonatal meningitis but are unique in their frequent association with the formation of brain abscess. Pathogenesis of Citrobacter spp. Causes meningitis and brain abscess is not well-characterized. However, it must be meningitis in other bacteria (eg Escherichia coli K1 and group B streptococci), wants to penetrate the blood-brain barrier occurs. To understand the pathogenesis of Citrobacter spp. Cause meningitis, we have studied in vitro model of blood-brain barrier of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC), the interaction between C. freundii and HBMEC. In this study, we show that C. freundii is able to penetrate HBMEC trancytosing in vitro.

Invasion of HBMEC by Citobacter freundii was determined to microfilaments, microtubules, endosome acidification to be dependent, and de novo protein synthesis. Immunofluorescence microscopy studies showed that microtubules after HBMEC came in contact with C. freundii, the microtubule aggregation is dependent on time and are aggregated with C. freundii but not seen with non-invasive E. coli HB101 and E. coli K1 meningitis. Also, unlike other meningitis-causing bacteria, C. freundii is able to replicate in HBMEC. This is the first demonstration of the meningitis-causing bacterium capable of intracellular replication in BMEC.

Citrobacter freundii is a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae and is often a major cause of opportunistic infections. C. freundii was also associated with neonatal meningitis and brain abscess. Mortality and morbidity Citrobacter meningitis is unacceptably high. Deaths associated with neonatal meningitis is connected, from 25 to 50%, plus a severe neurological consequences of lead in 3/4 of those who have survived. Although the effects of Citrobacter spp. in neonatal meningitis and brain abscess, it is clear that the mechanisms of these organisms that cause disease have been poorly studied.