INTRODUCTION : Cigarette smoking is a well-recognized risk factor for development of severe, invasive pneumococcal disease. However, little is known about the direct effects of exposure to cigarette smoke on the virulence ...

In addition to their conventional antimicrobial activity, the macrolide group of antibiotics are known to have a number of anti-inflammatory/ immunomodulatory activities, which may be of benefit to patients with chronic ...

With the notable exceptions of the United States and Canada in particular, the global burden of disease in adults due to invasive infection with the dangerous respiratory, bacterial pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae ...