title: Positive camp-phenomenon elicited by coagulase-negative staphylococci.
abstract: Fifty out of sixty-five isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci displayed a positive CAMP-reaction due to synergism of an extracellular toxin with S. aureus beta-toxin on sheep erythrocytes. Of the CAMP-positive isolates, 40 were identified as S. epidermidis, 8 as S. hemolyticus, and 2 each as S. hominis and S. saprophyticus. CAMP-positivity did not appear to be an indication of pathogenicity, and the incidence of CAMP-positive strains derived from wound infections did not differ from that found in clinically insignificant isolates. In five cases of mixed wound infection with S. aureus and a CAMP-positive S. epidermidis, no synergism between the toxins of the respective, paired isolates could be demonstrated since the S. aureus strains in these cases did not produce beta-toxin. The results show that most coagulase-negative staphylococci produce one or more toxins, possibly delta-toxin, detectable by the CAMP-reaction. The biological significance of toxin production remains to be elucidated.
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C021091:staphylococcal alpha-toxin; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase; C029878:hlb protein, Staphylococcus aureus