Microbial interactions in otitis media

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project aims to define how polymicrobial infection influences bacterial otitis media. Haemophilus influenzae (Hi), Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp), and Moraxella catarrhalis (Mcat) are the predominant isolates from patients with OM, and a wealth of evidence indicates that OM often involves combinations of these organisms. We hypothesize that interactions between bacterial species can impact OM disease parameters that include bacterial persistence, resistance to clearance and antibiotic treatment, and the initiation, progression and severity of the host inflammatory response. In order to address this hypothesis we will complete the following Specific Aims: Specific Aim 1: To define interactions among bacterial pathogens causing OM. Specific Aim 2: To ask how different interspecies relationships affect experimental OM. Specific Aim 3: To evaluate impact of polymicrobial infection on antibiotic resistance. Specific Aim 4: To establish the incidence of coinfection in patients undergoing tympanostomy. Most of our current knowledge about bacterial pathogenesis is derived from infection studies using pure cultures that may not fully represent how infections occur in actual patients. This proposal presents an opportunity to learn how multiple pathogens inhabiting the same ecological niche influence one another in biofilm communities that are critical to persistent infections. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Otitis media is a major common and costly pediatric illness worldwide, accounting for billions of dollars per year in total economic impact. Otitis media infections are the leading reason for pediatric office visits, new antibiotic prescriptions, and surgical instillation of tympanic drain tubes to relieve chronic and recurrent otitis media is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the U.S. Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Moraxella catarrhalis have long been recognized as the most common bacterial causes of otitis media, and it is now clear that many of these infections involve simultaneous infection with more than one organism. The focus of this application is to understand how these bacterial species interact in the biofilm communities that are a major determinant of bacterial persistence in vivo. Understanding how bacteria form these biofilms will be an important step in learning to better diagnose, prevent, and/or treat chronic infections.