Thromb Haemost 2009; 102(06): 1071-1079
DOI: 10.1160/TH09-03-0186
Theme Issue Article
Schattauer GmbH

Infection of the endothelium by members of the order Rickettsiales

Gustavo Valbuena
1   Department of Pathology and Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
,
David H. Walker
2   Department of Pathology and Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
› Author Affiliations

Financial support: NIH/NIAID U54 AI057156 (D.H. Walker, P.I.; G. Valbuena, Leader of Sub-Projects); NIH/NIAID 1R21AI069171 to G. Valbuena; NIH R01Al21242 to D.H. Walker.
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 20 March 2009

Accepted after minor revision: 26 July 2009

Publication Date:
28 November 2017 (online)

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Summary

The vascular endothelium is the main target of a limited number of infectious agents; Rickettsia, Ehrlichia ruminantium, and Orientia tsutsugamushi are among them. These arthropod-transmitted obligately-intracellular bacteria cause serious systemic diseases that are not infrequently lethal. In this review, we discuss the bacterial biology, vector biology, and clinical aspects of these conditions with particular emphasis on the interactions of these bacteria with the vascular endothelium and how it responds to intracellular infection. The study of these bacteria in relevant in vivo models is likely to offer new insights into the physiology of the endothelium that have not been revealed by other models.