Medical Importance of the Normal Microflora. Questo articolo non è disponibile.Medical Importance of the Normal Microflora

It has been estimated that there are more microbial cells inhabiting the human body than there are eukaryotic cells of which it is made up. This normal microflora usually co-exists relatively peacefully with the host and does not cause infection. The mechanisms by which this co-existence is achieved are still not properly understood and the interaction between the normal microflora and the host is far from simple. For a variety of reasons, however, this interaction can be disturbed and often results in the microflora becoming pathogens. The study of the diseases then caused is important both in terms of treatment and in terms of contributing to our understanding of the mechanisms by which the normal microflora usually interacts with the host.
This title brings together an international list of contributors, all of whom have active research interests in the normal microflora. Each of the chapters reviews current knowledge about a specific group or organism within the microflora and the diseases they can cause. Microflora of the skin, respiratory tract, oral cavity, gastrointestinal system and genital tract are all discussed and the impact of molecular methods on our understanding of the normal microflora is emphasised throughout the book.
Medical microbiologists, dental specialists, infectious disease specialists, nutritionists and gastroenterologists will all find this book of immense interest and value, as will epidemiologists, dermatologists and general microbiologists.

List of contributors. Preface. 1. The normal microflora: an introduction; G.W. Tannock. 2. The human skin microflora and disease; W.C. Noble. 3. The respiratory tract microflora and disease; J.O. Kim, J.N. Weiser. 4. Dental caries; H.F. Jenkinson. 5. The oral microflora and human periodontal disease; J. Slots, C. Chen. 6. Helicobacter pylori: opportunistic member of the normal microflora or agent of communicable disease? A. Lee. 7. The intestinal microflora and intra-abdominal sepsis; A.B. Onderdonk. 8. The intestinal microflora and inflammatory bowel disease; V.S. Chadwick, Wangxue Chen. 9. Mucin degradation and its significance in inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract; A.M. Roberton, A.P. Corfield. 10. Colon cancer: the potential involvement of the normal microflora; J. Birkbeck. 11. Toxicological implications of the normal microflora; I.R. Rowland. 12. Chemical transformations of bile salts by the intestinal microflora; J. Van Eldere. 13. Translocation of microbes from the intestinal tract; R.D. Berg. 14. The normal microflora and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and colitis; S.P. Borriello, C. Roffe. 15. The normal microflora as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance determinants; G.W. Tannock. 16. The development of microbial biofilms on medical prostheses; G. Reid. 17. Urogenital microflora and urinary tract infections; G. Reid, M. Habash. 18. Candida albicans: from commensal to pathogen; P.L. Fidel Jr. 19. Therole of the microflora in bacterial vaginosis; G. Reid, C. Heinemann. 20. Modification of the normal microflora; G.W. Tannock. Index.