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Interactions between blood-borne Streptococcus pneumoniae and the blood-brain barrier preceding meningitis

Federico Iovino1, Carlos J Orihuela, Henk E Moorlag

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Plos One
|July 23, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Streptococcus pneumoniae preferentially adheres to brain vessels, leading to meningitis. The brain’s immune cells activate quickly, but bacterial spread is controlled over time.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Infectious Disease
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis.
  • The mechanism of pneumococcal invasion across the blood-brain barrier to the Central Nervous System (CNS) remains unclear.
  • Understanding early bacterial interactions with the CNS vasculature is crucial for preventing meningitis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatiotemporal interactions between S. pneumoniae and the brain vasculature prior to meningitis development.
  • To identify the initial sites of bacterial adhesion and invasion across the blood-brain barrier.
  • To examine the host immune response within the brain during early pneumococcal infection.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mouse model of bacteremia-derived meningitis.
  • Employed immunofluorescent imaging to track S. pneumoniae (strain TIGR4) in brain tissue.
  • Analyzed bacterial location relative to brain vasculature and assessed immune cell activation (microglia, astrocytes, leukocytes).

Main Results:

  • S. pneumoniae preferentially adhered to subarachnoid vessels, later spreading to deeper brain regions like the cerebral cortex and choroid plexus.
  • Bacterial presence in the choroid plexus was detected at 8 hours post-infection.
  • While leukocyte recruitment to the brain was minimal, microglia and astrocytes showed activation within 1 hour post-infection.

Conclusions:

  • The brain's local immune system is activated immediately following bacterial entry into the bloodstream.
  • Bacterial adhesion to the blood-brain barrier occurs in a site-specific and time-dependent manner.
  • These findings provide critical insights into the early stages of pneumococcal meningitis pathogenesis.

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