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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
Pneumococcal colonisation is an asymptomatic event in healthy adults using an experimental human colonisation model
PLoS ONE, Volume 15, No. 3, Article e0229558, Year 2020
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Description
Introduction Pneumococcal colonisation is regarded as a pre-requisite for developing pneumococcal disease. In children previous studies have reported pneumococcal colonisation to be a symptomatic event and described a relationship between symptom severity/frequency and colonisation density. The evidence for this in adults is lacking in the literature. This study uses the experimental human pneumococcal challenge (EHPC) model to explore whether pneumococcal colonisation is a symptomatic event in healthy adults. Methods Healthy participants aged 18–50 were recruited and inoculated intra-nasally with either Streptococcus pneumoniae (serotypes 6B, 23F) or saline as a control. Respiratory viral swabs were obtained prior to inoculation. Nasal and non-nasal symptoms were then assessed using a modified Likert score between 1 (no symptoms) to 7 (cannot function). The rate of symptoms reported between the two groups was compared and a correlation analysis performed. Results Data from 54 participants were analysed. 46 were inoculated with S. pneumoniae (29 with serotype 6B, 17 with serotype 23F) and 8 received saline (control). In total, 14 became experimentally colonised (30.4%), all of which were inoculated with serotype 6B. There was no statistically significant difference in nasal (p = 0.45) or non-nasal symptoms (p = 0.28) between the inoculation group and the control group. In those who were colonised there was no direct correlation between colonisation density and symptom severity. In the 22% (12/52) who were co-colonised, with pneumococcus and respiratory viruses, there was no statistical difference in either nasal or non-nasal symptoms (virus positive p = 0.74 and virus negative p = 1.0). Conclusion Pneumococcal colonisation using the EHPC model is asymptomatic in healthy adults, regardless of pneumococcal density or viral co-colonisation. © 2020 Trimble et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Authors & Co-Authors
Trimble, Ashleigh
Unknown Affiliation
Connor, Victoria
United Kingdom, Liverpool
Liverpool University Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust
Robinson, Ryan E.
United Kingdom, Liverpool
Liverpool University Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust
McLenaghan, Daniella
United Kingdom, Liverpool
Liverpool University Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust
Hancock, Carole A.
United Kingdom, Liverpool
Liverpool University Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust
Wang, Duolao
Unknown Affiliation
Gordon, Stephen B.
Unknown Affiliation
Ferreira, Daniela Mulari
Unknown Affiliation
Wright, Angela D.
Unknown Affiliation
Collins, Andrea M.
United Kingdom, Liverpool
Liverpool University Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust
Statistics
Citations: 12
Authors: 10
Affiliations: 1
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0229558
ISSN:
19326203
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Randomised Control Trial
Study Approach
Quantitative