Gram-negative bacterial infection

Gram-negative bacterial infection
Classification and external resources

Gram negative cell wall
MeSH D016905

Gram-negative bacterial infection refers to a disease caused by Gram-negative bacteria. One example is E. coli.[1]

It is important to recognize that this class is defined morphologically (by the presence of a bacterial outer membrane), and not histologically (by a pink appearance when stained), though the two usually coincide.

One reason for this division is that the outer membrane is of major clinical significance: it can play a role in the reduced effectiveness of certain antibiotics,[2] and it is the source of endotoxin.[3]

The gram status of some organisms is complex or disputed:

References

  1. ^ Cordonnier C, Herbrecht R, Buzyn A, et al. (August 2005). "Risk factors for Gram-negative bacterial infections in febrile neutropenia". Haematologica 90 (8): 1102–9. PMID 16079110. http://www.haematologica.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=16079110. 
  2. ^ Pagès JM, Masi M, Barbe J (August 2005). "Inhibitors of efflux pumps in Gram-negative bacteria". Trends Mol Med 11 (8): 382–9. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2005.06.006. PMID 15996519. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1471-4914(05)00126-7. 
  3. ^ "Introduction: Bacterial Infections: Merck Manual Home Edition". http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch190/ch190a.html. 
  4. ^ MeSH Mycoplasma
  5. ^ "mycoplasma" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  6. ^ Sasaki T (April 1991). "Evidence that mycoplasmas, gram-negative bacteria, and certain gram-positive bacteria share a similar protein antigen". J. Bacteriol. 173 (7): 2398–400. PMC 207793. PMID 2007558. http://jb.asm.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=2007558. 
  7. ^ "Gardnerella" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  8. ^ MeSH Gardnerella
  9. ^ Sadhu K, Domingue PA, Chow AW, Nelligan J, Cheng N, Costerton JW (July 1989). "Gardnerella vaginalis has a gram-positive cell-wall ultrastructure and lacks classical cell-wall lipopolysaccharide". J. Med. Microbiol. 29 (3): 229–35. doi:10.1099/00222615-29-3-229. PMID 2787405. 
  10. ^ Cook RL, Reid G, Pond DG, Schmitt CA, Sobel JD (September 1989). "Clue cells in bacterial vaginosis: immunofluorescent identification of the adherent gram-negative bacteria as Gardnerella vaginalis". J. Infect. Dis. 160 (3): 490–6. PMID 2668431. 
  11. ^ "eMedicine - Gardnerella : Article by Diana Curran". http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic841.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-07. 
  12. ^ "eMedicine/Stedman Medical Dictionary Lookup!". http://www.emedicine.com/asp/dictionary.asp?keyword=Gardnerella.