Effect of Klebsiella ozaenae on ciliary activity in vitro: implications in the pathogenesis of atrophic rhinitis.

Klebsiella ozaenae is a gram-negative rod that has been isolated with relative frequency from patients with atrophic rhinitis. The relationship of this bacterium to the pathogenesis of atrophic rhinitis is not understood, and whether this bacterium is simply an opportunistic colonizer of the injured nose or the etiologic agent of the disease is unclear. This study was designed to investigate a potential role for bacterially produced cilioinhibition as a mechanism for the pathogenesis of atrophic rhinitis.