The intracellular phase of extracellular respiratory tract bacterial pathogens and its role on pathogen-host...

An initial intracellular phase of usually extracellular bacterial pathogens displays an important strategy to hide from the host's immune system and antibiotics therapy. It helps the bacteria, including bacterial pathogens of airway diseases, to persist and eventually switch to a typical extracellular infection. Several infectious diseases of the lung are life-threatening and their control is impeded by intracellular persistence of pathogens. Thus, molecular adaptations of the pathogens to this niche but also the host's response and potential targets to interfere are of relevance. Here we discuss examples of historically considered extracellular pathogens of the respiratory airway where the intracellular survival and proliferation is well documented, including infections by Staphylococcus aureus, Bordetella pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and others.

Current studies focus on bacterial factors contributing to adhesion, iron acquisition, and intracellular survival as well as ways to target them for combatting the bacterial infections.

The investigation of common and specific mechanisms of pathogenesis and persistence of these bacteria in the host may contribute to future investigations and identifications of relevant factors and/or bacterial mechanisms to be blocked to treat or improve prevention strategies.