Direct and Indirect Effectiveness of the 10-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Against Carriage in a Cluster Randomized Trial.

Finnish invasive pneumococcal disease (FinIP) vaccine trial was designed to evaluate effectiveness of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV10; GSK; Rixensart, Belgium). We conducted 2 satellite studies to evaluate ten-valent Pneumococcal Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV10) effectiveness against pneumococcal carriage in FinIP-vaccinated children (long-term direct and indirect effectiveness combined) and in their unvaccinated siblings (indirect effectiveness within the family). FinIP was a cluster randomized trial, where >47,000 children <19 months of age were recruited in 2009-2010.

Effectiveness of the 10-Valent Pneumococcal Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Protein D-Conjugated Vaccine (PHiD-CV) Against Carriage and Acute Otitis Media-A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial in Finland.

Unlabelled: After administering the 10-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae protein D-conjugated vaccine (PHiD-CV) to children aged 2-18 months, we observed a reduction in vaccine-type nasopharyngeal carriage, resulting in a reduction of overall pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage, which may be important for indirect vaccine effects. We noted a trend toward reduction of acute otitis media.

Background: This trial (ClinicalTrials.

Long-term survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis as isolates and in nasopharyngeal specimens in frozen STGG storage medium.

We evaluated survival in WHO-recommended STGG storage medium of bacteria causing respiratory-tract infection. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Moraxella catarrhalis survived as single and mixed isolates stored at -70°C for 12.5 years, but Haemophilus influenzae less than 4 years.

Efficacy of the 7-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Against Acute Otitis Media Caused by Serotype 6C Pneumococcus.

A new pneumococcal serotype 6C, earlier typed as 6A, was discovered in 2007. We retyped all 6A isolates to evaluate vaccine efficacy against 6C acute otitis media (AOM) in the phase III randomized, double-blind Finnish Otitis Media trial conducted in 1995-1999. Efficacy against 6C AOM was -1 (95% confidence interval: -248 to 71) during the per protocol follow-up period.

Diet as a risk factor for pneumococcal carriage and otitis media: a cross-sectional study among children in day care centers.

Background: Pharyngeal bacteria are exposed to different sugar conditions depending on the diet of the child. We hypothesized that dietary factors such as daily intake of carbohydrates could be associated with pneumococcal carriage and the occurrence of otitis media in children.

Methods: Our study design was a cross-sectional study among 1006 children attending child day care centers.

Incidence and etiology of community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly in a prospective population-based study.

Background: We conducted a prospective population-based epidemiological study to prepare a setting for documentation of the efficacy of novel vaccines against pneumococcal (Pnc) community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the elderly. Specific objectives were to demonstrate setting feasibility, to construct a case definition for Pnc CAP, and to estimate its incidence.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients with clinical and radiological findings compatible with CAP at municipal on-call clinics serving an elderly population (age ≥ 65 y) of approximately 29,500.

Antimicrobial resistance in relation to sero- and genotypes among invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae in Finland, 2007-2011.

Aim: We studied the serotypes and antimicrobial resistance of the invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae that had been isolated in Finland during 5 years. The 10-valent vaccine was introduced into the National Vaccination Programme in September 2010.

Methods: We examined the antimicrobial resistance and serotype distribution of the invasive pneumococci (n=4,194) that had been isolated in Finland during 2007-2011.

Comparative analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae transmission in Portuguese and Finnish day-care centres.

Background: Day-care centre (DCC) attendees play a central role in maintaining the circulation of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) in the population. The prevalence of pneumococcal carriage is highest in DCC attendees but varies across countries and is found to be consistently lower in Finland than in Portugal. We compared key parameters underlying pneumococcal transmission in DCCs to understand which of these contributed to the observed differences in carriage prevalence.

Pneumococcemia in children--a retrospective study before universal pneumococcal vaccinations.

Aim: To evaluate the incidence and characteristics of blood culture-positive occult pneumococcemia compared with blood culture-positive pneumococcal pneumonia in children.

Methods: In years 2001-2010, 105 children with positive blood cultures for Streptococcus pneumoniae were identified from hospital electronic files. The patient cards were retrospectively charted for clinical and laboratory data, and 38 patients had and 67 had not pneumonia.

Adenoidectomy in young children and serum IgG antibodies to pneumococcal surface protein A and choline binding protein A.

Objective: We have previously reported that surgical removal of the nasopharyngeal adenoid in young children resulted in increased risk of nasopharyngeal colonization by pneumococci. We now investigated whether adenoidectomy influences the development of serum IgG antibodies to pneumococcal choline-binding protein A (CbpA) and pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA).

Methods: Altogether 217 children aged 12-48 months who had recurrent or persistent otitis media were randomized to undergo or not to undergo adenoidectomy.

From Quellung to multiplex PCR, and back when needed, in pneumococcal serotyping.

All currently available vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae are based on selections of the over 90 different serotypes, which underlines the importance of serotyping for surveillance and vaccine efficacy monitoring. In this study, we modified and validated a PCR-based scheme for deducing the serotypes of the invasive pneumococci isolated in Finland. For validation, 170 isolates were serotyped using the new protocol with six sequential multiplex PCRs for the deduction of serotypes, supplemented with Quellung testing when needed.

Comparison of the severity and outcome of invasive pneumococcal infections in children and adults.

In a population-based observational study of 285 patients with positive blood culture for pneumococci, we found that the course and outcome of invasive pneumococcal infections differ considerably between adults and children. None of the children died, whereas the infection was fatal for 15% (35/229) of the adults (P<0.001).

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae and pneumococcal urine antigen test in healthy elderly subjects.

Background: Children frequently carry Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) in their nasopharynx, even when healthy. Lower carriage rates have been reported in adults and only sparse data are available for the elderly. We sampled healthy elderly subjects for nasopharyngeal carriage to assess the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage using various assays.

Clonality behind the increase of multidrug-resistance among non-invasive pneumococci in Southern Finland.

Multidrug-resistance among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates, especially of serotype 19A, has increased in several countries recently. Even before the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine into the Finnish National Vaccination Programme, the proportion of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pneumococci had doubled from 2007 to 2008, when it reached 3.6% in Southern Finland.

Prevalence of pilus-encoding islets and clonality of pneumococcal isolates from children with acute otitis media.

We characterized the prevalence of pilus islets 1 (PI-1) and 2 (PI-2) and the clonality of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates taken from children with acute otitis media (AOM) to study the association between pilus existence and AOM disease potential prior to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and increased antimicrobial resistance. The study material consisted of 75 pneumococcal isolates cultured from the middle ear fluid and/or nasopharyngeal aspirate of 56 children with AOM in Finland during the period 1990-1992. Isolates were studied for antimicrobial susceptibility and were serotyped, genotyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and tested for the presence of pneumococcal PI-1 and PI-2 genes.

Effect of xylitol and other carbon sources on Streptococcus pneumoniae biofilm formation and gene expression in vitro.

Xylitol inhibits the growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae. In clinical trials, xylitol decreased the occurrence of acute otitis media in day-care children, but did not decrease nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci. We hypothesized that xylitol inhibits biofilm formation of pneumococci, and measured biofilm formation and gene expression levels of the capsule gene cpsB and two other genes: autolysin encoding gene lytA and competence gene comA in different growth media in vitro.

Pneumococcal carriage is more common in asthmatic than in non-asthmatic young men.

Introduction:   The aim was to investigate the prevalence of oropharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Neisseria meningitidis and beta-haemolytic streptococci among asthmatic and non-asthmatic young Finnish men and to identify putative risk factors.

Objectives:   A total of 224 asthmatics and 668 non-asthmatic men (mean age 19.6 years) from two intakes of conscripts to the Kainuu Brigade, Finland in July 2004 and January 2005 were enrolled upon entering military service.

Serotype-related variation in susceptibility to complement deposition and opsonophagocytosis among clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The polysaccharide capsule is a major virulence factor of Streptococcus pneumoniae; it affects complement resistance and shields the bacterium from phagocytes. Certain capsular serotypes appear to be better able to cause invasive disease than others. Serotypes 1 and 5 are common causes of invasive disease but are rarely isolated from healthy carriers, whereas serotypes 6B and 23F are more frequently isolated from carriage than invasive disease.

A report of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 6D in Europe.

Serotype 6D of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been reported in Asia and the Fijian islands among nasopharyngeal carriage isolates. We now report a 6D isolate from a Finnish adult with invasive pneumococcal disease. Interestingly, the Finnish isolate and Asian isolate capsule gene loci are almost identical.

Risk of invasive pneumococcal infections among working age adults with asthma.

Background: Information about the risk of invasive pneumococcal infection (IPI) among adults with asthma is limited and inconsistent. To evaluate this association, a population-based case-control study was conducted.

Methods: Cases of IPI (Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid) were identified through national, population-based laboratory surveillance during 1995-2002.

Presence of capsular locus genes in immunochemically identified encapsulated and unencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae sputum isolates obtained from elderly patients with acute lower respiratory tract infection.

The principal virulence factor of Streptococcus pneumoniae is capsular polysaccharide, and encapsulated pneumococci are more common causes of disease than unencapsulated strains. This study analysed the presence of capsular genes in 59 pneumococcal isolates using two PCR methods targeted at the cpsA and cpsB genes of the capsular biosynthesis locus. The PCR method targeted at the cpsB gene, reported to be essential for encapsulation, was developed in this study.

Adenoidectomy and nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in young children.

Objective: The effect of adenoidectomy on nasopharyngeal colonisation of pathogens has not previously been evaluated. The authors studied the effect of adenoidectomy on nasopharyngeal colonisation by bacteria causing otitis media and the effect of adenoidectomy on the development of pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide antibodies.

Design: Randomised controlled study.

The development of a 16S rRNA gene based PCR for the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae and comparison with four other species specific PCR assays.

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most frequently encountered pathogens in humans but its differentiation from closely related but less pathogenic streptococci remains a challenge.

Methods: This report describes a newly-developed PCR assay (Spne-PCR), amplifying a 217 bp product of the 16S rRNA gene of S. pneumoniae, and its performance compared to other genotypic and phenotypic tests.

Biofilm formation by Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from paediatric patients.

The clinical significance of pneumococcal biofilm formation is largely unknown. To clarify this, we tested whether the ability of pneumococcal clinical isolates to form biofilm in vitro accounts for the diverse clinical outcomes. Clinical pneumococcal isolates were cultured from the nasopharynx (n=106), middle ear effusion (n=43) and blood (n=55) of 204 children altogether.

An outbreak of pneumonia associated with S. pneumoniae at a military training facility in Finland in 2006.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a well-known cause of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. The purpose of this study was to assess the cause and extent of the outbreak of pneumonia which occurred among military recruits following a 1-week hard encampment in Finland. We also assessed the carriage rate and molecular characteristics of the S.