Interactions of meningococci with endothelium.

The vascular endothelium forms an essential barrier against invasion by Neisseria meningitidis from the nasopharynx into the circulation and against meningococcal invasion from the bloodstream into the brain. In previous chapters, there has therefore been considerable emphasis on techniques designed to investigate the mechanisms underlying meningococcal interactions with epithelial and endothelial surfaces. The vascular endothelium is also a major target for the host inflammatory response to meningococcal infection and indeed the ensuing endothelial damage underlies many of the clinical manifestations associated with this condition (1,2). For this reason, our work has focused on understanding the cellular and molecular consequences of meningococcalendothelial interactions.