title: Is a black-pigmented Corynebacterium species an opportunistic pathogen during pregnancy? Literature review and report of 3 new cases.
abstract: Isolation of black-pigmented Corynebacterium species from human clinical samples has been reported, although rarely. Review of the medical literature revealed 3 reports of culture isolation of these unusual bacteria. All were recovered from the female genital tract, and 1 case was associated with spontaneous abortion. Genetic characterization of these isolates indicates that they are similar and probably represent a novel pathogen in the genus Corynebacterium. We report 3 additional bacterial isolates sharing similar phenotypic and/or genotypic characteristics that were recovered from the genital tract of women who had complications of pregnancy. Similarities in these cases suggest that this newly recognized Corynebacterium species might be an opportunistic pathogen in pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center, Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Marshfield, Wisconsin 54449, USA. shukla.sanjay@mcrf.mfldclin.edu
authors.forename: Sanjay K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harney
authors.forename: Bharati
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jhaveri
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Kurt D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*