Bacterial adhesion to respiratory mucosa and its modulation by antibiotics at sub-inhibitory concentrations.

Respiratory infections develop after contact and successive adhesion of micro-organisms to airway mucosa. In fact, the bacterial adhesins are able to interact with a 'lock and key' mechanism with the analogous structures on epithelial surfaces when permissive conditions occur. It was observed that antibiotics at subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) can modify bacterial ability of adhesion to host cells, in various ways. Bacterial adhesion is generally inhibited by antibiotics that, at these concentrations, do not kill bacteria but can change the surface architecture of the micro-organisms.