title: Rapid detection and identification of Brachyspira aalborgi from rectal biopsies and faeces of a patient.
abstract: This study reports for the first time the detection of Brachyspira aalborgi in faeces and rectal biopsies of a female suffering for 3-4 months of abdominal pain with long-standing mucosal diarrhoea, rectal bleeding and suspected carcinoma of the rectum. After pre-treatment of samples (faeces and biopsies) with a liquid medium (trypticase soy broth-TSB) containing foetal calf serum (FCS, 10%) and spectinomycin and rifampicin (TSB-SR) the first detection of B. aalborgi isolate HBS1 was observed after 48 h in the primary plates of selective blood agar modified medium (BAM) containing spectinomycin and rifampicin (BAM-SR), where growth zones were signalled by a small weakly beta-haemolytic halo. Attempts to subculture spirochaetes in agar media failed. The new HBS1 isolate was only propagated in TSB broth and at electron microscopy it showed 4 endoflagella inserted at each tapered end. The phenotypic characterization of HBS1 demonstrated absence of hippurate hydrolysis, indole production, alpha-galactosidase, alpha- and beta-glucosidase activities in accordance with the B. aalborgi type strain. Rapid identification of B. aalborgi isolate HBS1 was performed directly from faeces and rectal biopsies and subsequently from pure cultures by a genetic method based on 16S DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sequence of 16S DNA amplicon of the isolate HBS1 was found 99.2% corresponding to that of the B. aalborgi type strain. Our results encourage further investigations for the development of a suitable selective agar medium for the isolating and cultivating B. aalborgi from human specimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Section of Microbiology, University of Parma, Viale A. Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calderaro
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villanacci
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conter
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ragni
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piccolo
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zuelli
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bommezzadri
authors.forename: Rozenn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guégan
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zambelli
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perandin
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Arcangeletti
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Medici
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dettori
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chezzi
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D003470:Culture Media; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013144:Spirochaetales / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013145:Spirochaetales Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S