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In vitro Assessment of the Host Response against Enterococcus faecalis Used in Probiotic Preparations

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Abstract

Along with other lactic acid bacteria, enterococci are used in food products and as health promoting agents. The safety of these products must be ensured, because they contain potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Here we present an in vitro opsonophagocytic assay that closely mimics the protective human immune response to Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. A collection of closely related E. faecalis isolates used as probiotics showed different susceptibilities to opsonic killing, suggesting that some of these isolates possess a capsule while other do not. This information may be helpful in assessing the safety of a given bacterial isolate used and could detect likely enterococcal candidates for probiotic preparations.

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Author notes

  1. M. Hufnagel

    Present address: Dept. of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    A. Kropec, M. Hufnagel & J. Huebner

  2. Division of Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    A. Kropec & J. Huebner

  3. University Children's Hospital, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany

    M. Hufnagel

  4. Symbiopharm GmbH, Herborn, Germany

    K. Zimmermann

Authors
  1. A. Kropec
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  2. M. Hufnagel
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  3. K. Zimmermann
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  4. J. Huebner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Huebner.

Additional information

This paper is dedicated to the founders of the Walter Marget Foundation, D. Adam and F. Daschner, in gratitude for their support of the training in infectious diseases.

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Kropec, A., Hufnagel, M., Zimmermann, K. et al. In vitro Assessment of the Host Response against Enterococcus faecalis Used in Probiotic Preparations. Infection 33, 377–379 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-005-5063-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-005-5063-7

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