Bacterial penetration across the blood-brain barrier during the development of neonatal meningitis

Bacterial pathogens may breach the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and invade the central nervous system through paracellular and/or transcellular mechanism s. Transcellular penetration, e.g., transcytosis across the BBB has been de monstrated for Escherichia coli K1, group B streptococcus, Listeria monocyt ogenes, Citrobacter freundii and Streptococcus pneumonia strains. Genes con tributing to invasion of brain microvascular endothelial cells include E. c oli K1 genes ompA, ibeA, ibeB, and yijP. Understanding the mechanisms of ba cterial penetration across the BBB may help develop novel approaches to pre venting bacterial meningitis. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.