BACTERIAL ADHESION TO RESPIRATORY MUCOSA AND ITS MODULATION BY ANTIBIOTICS AT SUB-INHIBITORY CONCENTRATIONS

Respiratory infections develop after contact and successive adhesion o f microorganisms to airway mucosa, In fact, the bacterial adhesins are able to interact with a 'lock and key' mechanism with the analogous s tructures on epithelial surfaces when permissive conditions occur. It was observed that antibiotics at subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC s) can modify bacterial ability of adhesion to host cells, in various ways. Bacterial adhesion is generally inhibited by antibiotics that, a t these concentrations, do not kill bacteria but can change the surfac e architecture of the micro-organisms.