Streptococcus
pneumoniae is among the leading and most aggressive (around 30% of attributable
mortality) causes of meningitis (Van de Beek et al. O’Brien et al. and the
pathogenesis of this infection is not yet clearly understood.
The capsular
polysaccharide plays a central role in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal
infection; however, other virulence factors need to be considered.
An intense
inflmmatory response is observed in infections due to S. pneumoniae and this is
at least partially attributed to ZmpB, a zinc metalloprotease present in
virtually all pneumococcal strains, ZmpB likely to serve as an important but
unknown housekeeping function associated with the human host.
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