ABSTRACT
We first observed the phenomenon of small colony variants (SCVs) in a Staphylococcus pseudintermedius sequence type 71 (ST71) strain, isolated from a non-pet owner. Although we found that small-sized colonies share main features with Staphylococcus aureus SCVs, they nevertheless show a novel, particular, and sticky phenotype, whose expression was extremely stable, even after subcultivation.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Adhesion , Methicillin Resistance , Staphylococcus/drug effects , Staphylococcus/physiology , Female , Humans , Phenotype , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology , Staphylococcus/growth & development , Staphylococcus/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
Enterococcus hirae is rarely collected from man, while it is a common pathogen in mammals and birds. We describe the first isolation of the organism (strain DSM 27815) from human umbilical cord blood (UCB), thus emphasizing the risk of contamination of UCB units for clinical use. In this context, we also highlight the importance of an extensive training of the collecting personnel as to the observance of the disinfection protocol ensuring UCB units sterility.
Subject(s)
Bacteremia/diagnosis , Diagnostic Errors , Enterococcus/isolation & purification , Fetal Blood/microbiology , Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/diagnosis , Animals , Bacteremia/microbiology , Birds , DNA, Bacterial/chemistry , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry , DNA, Ribosomal/genetics , Enterococcus/classification , Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/microbiology , Humans , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNAABSTRACT
Blastoschizomyces capitatus is an uncommon, opportunistic pathogenic fungus, which causes invasive and disseminated infections. This microorganism is normally present in both environmental and normal human flora. Within a host, B. capitatus is able to grow in both unicellular yeast and multicellular filamentous growth forms. In this study, we obtained in vitro morphological conversion of B. capitatus from yeast-to-mycelial phase to investigate the presence and expression of glutathione transferase (GST) enzymes in both cell forms. A protein with GST activity using the model substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene was detected in both morphologies and identified by tandem mass spectrometry as a eukaryotic elongation factor 1Bγ (eEF1Bγ) protein, a member of the GST superfamily. No significant difference in GST-specific activity and kinetic constants were observed between mycelial and yeast forms, indicating that eEF1Bγ protein did not show differential expression between the two phases.
Subject(s)
Dipodascus/enzymology , Glutathione Transferase/metabolism , Peptide Elongation Factor 1/metabolism , Dinitrochlorobenzene/metabolism , Dipodascus/cytology , Mycelium/cytology , Mycelium/enzymology , Tandem Mass Spectrometry , Yeasts/cytology , Yeasts/enzymologyABSTRACT
Streptococcus agalactiae (group B Streptococcus, GBS) vaginal pathogenicity is not uniformly acknowledged throughout the literature; accordingly, in women, genital itching and burning, along with leukorrhea are commonly and almost exclusively referred to bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis and trichomoniasis. Conversely, GBS virulence for vagina was recognized in the past, as the organism has been observed to potentially cause local inflammation and discharge, as well as lactobacilli rarefaction. We depict here a case where a nonhemolytic (γ-hemolytic) GBS strain was found to be the etiologic agent of vaginal infection. Such uncommon S. agalactiae phenotypes are hard to be recognized and may be therefore responsible for misdiagnosing and underestimation of GBS vaginitis prevalence; here, we had the support of the Liofilchem(®) Chromatic StreptoB medium, that successfully detected such an atypical variant.
Subject(s)
Streptococcal Infections/microbiology , Streptococcus agalactiae/isolation & purification , Vaginosis, Bacterial/microbiology , Amoxicillin/therapeutic use , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Bacteriological Techniques , Female , Humans , Streptococcal Infections/drug therapy , Streptococcus agalactiae/drug effects , Vaginosis, Bacterial/drug therapyABSTRACT
Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a veterinary pathogen that has seldom been described as an agent of human disease. Features of this probably underreported coagulase-positive Staphylococcus species are depicted here through the description of a graft-versus-host disease-related wound infection caused by a multidrug-resistant strain.
Subject(s)
Bone Marrow Transplantation/adverse effects , Carrier State/veterinary , Dog Diseases/microbiology , Methicillin Resistance , Staphylococcal Infections/drug therapy , Aged , Animals , Dogs , Graft vs Host Disease/microbiology , Humans , Male , Molecular Sequence Data , Staphylococcal Infections/diagnosis , Staphylococcus/drug effects , Wound Infection/microbiologyABSTRACT
Corynebacterium striatum is often dismissed as a contaminant when cultivated from blood samples; indeed, it is a skin saprophyte that may therefore be introduced into the clinical specimen accidentally. Nevertheless, the organism can be responsible for true bacteraemias, and multidrug resistance spread among nosocomial strains is of increasing concern. Specific criteria for testing have not been defined yet, but we however suggest to report clear resistances (i.e. absence of any inhibition zones with the disc test), in order to try to understand this species behaviour under antibiotic exposure. In this context, features of a blood isolate (strain DSM 45711) are here depicted.
Subject(s)
Bacteremia/microbiology , Corynebacterium Infections/microbiology , Corynebacterium/isolation & purification , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Corynebacterium/drug effects , Drug Resistance, Bacterial , HumansSubject(s)
Candida/isolation & purification , Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal/diagnosis , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/isolation & purification , Vaginitis/diagnosis , Candida/growth & development , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/growth & development , Vaginitis/microbiologyABSTRACT
A yeast strain was isolated from the sputum sample of a leukaemia patient in the Spirito Santo Hospital of Pescara, Italy. The fungus produced a pigment that formed a reddish halo around colonies, and was identified and deposited as a Metschnikowia spp. (accession number IHEM 25107-GenBank accession number JQ921016) in the BCCM/IHEM collection of biomedical fungi and yeasts (Bruxelles, Belgium). Although the physiology of the strain was close to that of Metschnikowia sinensis, the D1/D2 sequence did not correspond to any previously described Metschnikowia species. Phylogeny of the genus Metschnikowia is complex and requires far more analysis. We present the first non-M. pulcherrima Metschnikowia spp. isolate recovered from a human, and emphasize the role of man as a transient carrier of environmental yeasts, the pathogenicity of which still needs to be defined.
Subject(s)
Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Leukemia/complications , Metschnikowia/isolation & purification , Mycoses/microbiology , Pyrazines/metabolism , Amphotericin B/pharmacology , Base Sequence , DNA, Fungal/chemistry , DNA, Fungal/genetics , DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry , DNA, Ribosomal/genetics , Fluconazole/pharmacology , Humans , Italy , Male , Metschnikowia/classification , Metschnikowia/drug effects , Metschnikowia/physiology , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Molecular Sequence Data , Mycoses/complications , Phylogeny , Pigments, Biological/metabolism , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Sputum/microbiology , Voriconazole/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is mostly known as an agent of meningitis and pneumonia. We present what is believed to be a previously unreported case of pneumococcal disease, involving an inguinal wound. A 10-year-old male patient underwent surgical removal of a cat-scratch disease-related enlarged groin lymph node; infection of the wound was soon observed, with multidrug-resistant S pneumoniae growing from the lesion discharge. This communication expands the spectrum of skin ulcer-infecting pathogens; in fact, although pneumococcus has been known to mostly affect central nervous system and airways, we observed a surgical wound infection by this organism.
Subject(s)
Bartonella henselae/isolation & purification , Cat-Scratch Disease/surgery , Pneumococcal Infections/drug therapy , Streptococcus pneumoniae/isolation & purification , Surgical Wound Infection/drug therapy , Surgical Wound Infection/microbiology , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Bartonella henselae/drug effects , Cat-Scratch Disease/diagnosis , Cats , Child , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Pneumococcal Infections/diagnosis , Risk Assessment , Severity of Illness Index , Streptococcus pneumoniae/drug effects , Surgical Wound Infection/physiopathology , Treatment Outcome , Wound Healing/physiologyABSTRACT
Hyperimmune globulins were reported to prevent and treat fetal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy. Here, we report that infusions of standard human intravenous immunoglobulin significantly increase CMV IgG titers and avidity indexes in pregnant women, paving the way to their use for passive transfer of maternal CMV humoral immunity to fetuses. Preliminary data on perinatal outcomes of the first 67 newborns are encouraging.
