1. Wstęp. 2. Czynniki zwiększające ryzyko infekcji Lactobacillus sp. 3. Identyfikacja Lactobacillus sp. 4. Chorobotwórczość Lactobacillus sp. 5. Podsumowanie

Abstract: Lactobacilli are found in the mucous membrane of the mouth, in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and in the genitourinary tract. It is known that lactobacilli have a beneficial effect on our health and are used in the production of fermented milk, yoghurts, cheese, and probiotics. However, in this article I show that lactic acid bacteria also cause many diseases. Lactobacilli produce lactic acid which acidifies the environment. There are some factors increasing the risk of infection caused by lactobacilli, such as neutropenia in immunocompromised patients and certain underlying diseases, especially diabetes. Also, lactobacilli have a natural resistance to some antibiotics, especially vancomycin. The identification of lactobacilli can be very difficult due to the number of species, subspecies and genotypic or phenotypic traits. The most advanced procedures are molecular DNA-based techniques. Conventional biochemical tests can be also used to determine some differences. Lactobacilli infection can affect both a single organ and the whole organism, causing for example lactobacillemia. The main disease caused by lactobacilli is endocarditis.

1. Introduction. 2. Risk factors. 3. Identification. 4. Pathogenicity. 5. Conclusions