Adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to pharyngeal cells from normal subjects, smokers, staphylococcal carriers and patients with viral infections

Bacterial adherence to mammalian cells has been thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of several kinds of infection, including endocarditis, diarrheal disease, urinary tract infection, gonorrhea, and vaginal infection. Colonization of the upper airways by pathogenic bacteria may depend upon bacterial adherence to mucosal cells, and may be a factor which predisposes to the development of bacterial pneumonia. Previous studies have shown a relation between adherence of bacteria to buccal mucosal cells and the development of hospital-acquired colonization by gram negative bacilli. The authors laboratory has investigated the adherence of S. aureus to pharyngeal cells in a few clinically relevant situations. In this paper the authors present data which show increased adherence of S. aureus to pharyngeal cells from cigarette smokers, chronic staphylococcal carriers, and patients with viral infections.