title: Prevalence of Campylobacter concisus in diarrhoea of immunocompromised patients.
abstract: The importance of Campylobacter species other than C. jejuni/coli in diarrhoeal disease is largely unknown. We wished to determine the prevalence and clinical presentation of C. concisus infection in patients with enteric disease in a tertiary hospital. Stool specimens were routinely tested for the presence of Campylobacter species, by use of the filter isolation method. The medical records of the C. concisus-positive patients were reviewed. Of 224 Campylobacter isolates obtained, 110 were identified as C. concisus. Concomitant infection occurred in only 27% of cases. By means of protein profiling we assigned C. concisus into 2 groups. The predominant C. concisus group 2 was the only strain to infect immunocompetent patients and children: 71% of the infected patients were immunocompromised, the majority being adults (84%). C. concisus may be a frequent cause of diarrhoea in immunocompromised patients. Two groups of C. concisus were found and these groups possibly vary in their pathogenic potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aabenhus
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Permin
authors.forename: Stephen L W
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: On
authors.forename: Leif P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons