Corynebacterium diphtheriae threats in cancer patients

The aim of this study was to determine the bacteriological properties of Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains isolated from bronchiole washing and cancer lesions. Bacteriological characterization included fluorescence/double sugar urease (King/DSU) screening tests, pyrazinamidase (PYZ), CAMP-reactions and radial immunodiffusion toxigenicity assay. Microorganisms produced fluorescence under ultraviolet light and were catalase positive; urea and aesculin hydrolysis negative; fermentation of glucose, maltose and sucrose and no fermentation of mannitol and xylose; PYZ and CAMP reaction negative. The API-Coryne system was used for bacterial preliminary identification at local hospital laboratory and produced numerical profiles 1010325 and 0010325 for sucrose positive C. diphtheriae var. mitis (nitrate positive) and C. diphtheriae var. belfanti (nitrate negative), respectively. The hemagglutination, adherence to glass and polystyrene assays evaluated adhesive characteristics. Strains were toxigenic and able to adhere to glass, polystyrene and human erythrocyte surfaces (titer 4). C. diphtheriae strains isolated from cancer patients expressed adhesive characteristics similar to strains isolated from immunocompetent hosts. Circulation of toxigenic C. diphtheriae continues to present a threat for children and adults including patients with cancer in hospital environment. Laboratories should remain alert to the possibility of isolation of diphtheria bacilli from adults with neoplastic disease.

Diphtheria: current status and laboratory procedures for diagnosis / A difteria hoje e os procedimentos laboratoriais de diagnóstico

Os surtos de difteria que ocorreram no território brasileiro nos levaram a estudar recursos laboratoriais empregados no diagnóstico das amidalites. A pesquisa da produçäo de porfirina e a técnica de IF podem ser satisfatorialmente utilizadas na identificaçäo rápida do C. diphtheriae. A IF mostrou-se adequada, devendo, no entanto, estar sempre associada aos métodos convencionais

Hemagglutination pattern of corynebacterium diphtheriae

O bacilo diftérico apresentou atividade hemaglutinante para hemácias de pinto, gato, macaco, ganso, humanos, cobaio e carneiro. Observou-se 8 padröes hemaglutinantes que foram relacionados com o comportamento bacteriano frente a sacarose. Os microrganismos de biotipo fermentador näo hemaglutinaram hemácias de pinto, gato e macaco. A aglutinaçäo de hemácias de carneiro, pelo bacilo diférico, näo sofreu inibiçäo após a variaçäo das condiçöes de cultivo, nem após o tratamento do microrganismo com diversos agentes como: calor, álcool, éter, tripsina, HC1, NaOH e açúcares

Relationship of biotype and source to the hemaglutination and adhesive properties of C. Diphtheriae

A study was conducted on the hemagglutinating and adhesive properties of sucrose-fermenting and non-sucrose-fermenting Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains. Sheep erythrocytes were agglutined by 72% of tozigen C. diphtheriae strains and by 87% of nontoxigenic strains, by 67% of the strains isolated from throats and 94% of skin isolates, and by 65% of sucrose-fermenting organisms and 93% of non-sucrose-fermenting strains. Neither presence nor absence of toxin production was correlated with the hemagglutinating property. Different levels of adherence to glass surfaces occurred among C. diphtheriae strains. Strains from skin lesions and of the non-sucrose-fermenting biotype showed strong hemagglutinating activity. In contrast, sucrose-fermenting strains exhibited less hemagglutinating activity, but most of them (71%) were predominantly effective adherers to glass surfaces