Research progress in outer membrane proteins of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae

Abstract:

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae（NTHi） is a conditioned pathogen colonizing the human nasopharynx. It often causes secondary infections，such as bronchitis，sinusitis，otitis media in children，and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults. It has been found that a variety of immunogenic and antigenic proteins are expressed on the outer membrane of the cell wall of NTHi，which are essential for its colonization，invasion，and survival in the host. In addition，some proteins are also associ－ated with the drug resistance and host immune clearance mechanism of the bacterium. Therefore，the study of outer membrane proteins is beneficial to the development of effective vaccines and anti-infective drugs to prevent and treat infections caused by NTHi. In this paper，several outer membrane proteins are reviewed in terms of their structure，function and application.