G D Christensen — Page 3

PubMedDate not supplied

Pathogenesis of experimental endocarditis.

Numerous important observations concerning the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis have been made over the past 18 years. Many of these observations have been obtained with animal models of endocarditis in which an indwelling catheter has been used to produce predisposing endocardial lesions for subsequent infection. Unlike several previously used animal models, the catheter-induced endocarditis models have many characteristics similar to infective endocarditis in humans. Key findings regarding microbial adherence and persistence and the host response to endocardial infection have led to a better appreciation of the complex issues operative in the pathogenesis of endocarditis.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prosthetic valve endocarditis due to small-colony staphylococcal variants.

Although Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major cause of prosthetic valve endocarditis, little is known about the pathogenesis of this disease. In one case described herein, small-colony variant forms of S. epidermidis were isolated from clinical specimens obtained from a patient with prosthetic valve endocarditis. Data from the rat model of experimental endocarditis provide further evidence that small-colony variants may be operative in the production of prosthetic valve infection. Moreover, a review of the literature indicates that small-colony variants could account for the subtle clinical course after prolonged dormant infection that characterizes S. epidermidis prosthetic valve endocarditis. It is therefore hypothesized that small-colony variants of S. epidermidis may play a role in the pathogenesis of prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Animals↗