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The inverse correlation between Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization in infants is not

Ankie Lebon1, Nelianne J Verkaik, Corné P de Vogel

  • 1The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology : CVI
|November 19, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Antibody levels in infants and mothers did not influence colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus. This study found no association between antibody levels and the inverse relationship between these bacteria in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Microbial ecology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Infant colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus exhibits an inverse correlation.
  • Previous research has explored factors influencing this negative association.
  • The role of specific antibodies in modulating this relationship remains incompletely understood, particularly in the context of pneumococcal vaccination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between antipneumococcal antibodies and Staphylococcus aureus colonization in infants.
  • To examine the association between antistaphylococcal antibodies and Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization in children.
  • To assess the influence of maternal and infant antibody levels on the inverse colonization patterns of these two bacteria.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study design involving healthy children.
  • Measurement of specific IgG and IgA antibody levels in maternal and infant serum samples.
  • Assessment of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus colonization status in infants.
  • Statistical analysis to determine correlations between antibody levels and colonization.

Main Results:

  • No significant association was observed between maternal IgG antibody levels and the colonization status of either bacterium in the first year of life.
  • Infant IgG and IgA antibody levels showed no correlation with Streptococcus pneumoniae or Staphylococcus aureus colonization.
  • The inverse relationship between these two bacterial colonizations was not explained by the measured antibody levels in this cohort.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal and infant antibody levels (IgG and IgA) do not appear to be determinants of the inverse colonization pattern between Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus in early childhood.
  • Further research is needed to identify other factors mediating the observed inverse relationship between these common respiratory pathogens.

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