Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34978928›Full record

ArticleInfection and immunity2022

A Novel Pneumococcal Surface Protein K of Nonencapsulated

Hideki Sakatani, Masamitsu Kono, Denisa Nanushaj, Daichi Murakami, Saori Takeda, Fumie Kaneko, Moon H Nahm, Muneki Hotomi

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infection and immunity, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. An abundance ofMicrobiology (Reading, England) · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Hideki Sakatani *Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical Universitygrid.412857.d, Wakayama, Japan.
Masamitsu Kono *Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical Universitygrid.412857.d, Wakayama, Japan.
Denisa NanushajDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical Universitygrid.412857.d, Wakayama, Japan.
Daichi MurakamiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical Universitygrid.412857.d, Wakayama, Japan.
Saori TakedaDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical Universitygrid.412857.d, Wakayama, Japan.
Fumie KanekoDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical Universitygrid.412857.d, Wakayama, Japan.
Moon H NahmDepartment of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Muneki HotomiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical Universitygrid.412857.d, Wakayama, Japan.ORCID 0000-0003-4705-5319
Wakayama Medical University · JPUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We established an infant mouse model for colonization and transmission by nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae (NESp) strains to gain important information about its virulence among children. Invasive pneumococcal diseases have decreased dramatically since the worldwide introduction of pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccines. Increasing prevalence of nonvaccine serotypes, including NESp, has been highlighted as a challenge in treatment strategy, but the virulence of NESp is not well understood. Protective strategies against NESp colonization and transmission between children require particularly urgent evaluation. NESp lacks capsules, a major virulence factor of pneumococci, but can cause a variety of infections in children and older people. PspK, a specific surface protein of NESp, is a key factor in establishing nasal colonization. In our infant mouse model for colonization and transmission by NESp strains, NESp could establish stable nasal colonization at the same level as encapsulated serotype 6A in infant mice and could be transmitted between littermates. Transmission was promoted by NESp surface virulence factor PspK and influenza virus coinfection. However, PspK deletion mutants lost the ability to colonize and transmit to new hosts. Promotion of NESp transmission by influenza was due to increased susceptibility of the new hosts. PspK was a key factor not only in establishment of nasal colonization but also in transmission to new hosts. PspK may be targeted as a new candidate vaccine for NESp infection in children.

Indexed as

CoinfectionInfluenza A virusPneumococcal InfectionsAgedAnimalsDarbepoetin alfaDisease Models, AnimalHumansMicePneumococcal VaccinesStreptococcus pneumoniaeVirulence FactorsDarbepoetin alfaPneumococcal VaccinesVirulence Factorsinfluenza viruslittermatesnonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniaePspKtransmission

Identifiers

PMID34978928
PMCPMC8853673
OpenAlexW4206529649

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.