title: Erratum to "Apotransferrin administration prevents growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis in serum of stem cell transplant patients by binding of free iron". [FEMS Immunol. Med Microbiol. 37 (2003) 45-51].
abstract: We investigated the effect of free, non-transferrin-bound iron occurring in haematological stem cell transplant patients on growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis in serum in vitro, and prevention of bacterial growth by exogenous apotransferrin. S. epidermidis did not grow in normal serum at inoculated bacterial densities up to 10(3) cfu ml(-1) but slow growth could be detected at higher initial inocula. Addition of free iron abolished the growth-inhibitory effect of serum, whereas addition of apotransferrin again restored it. Appearance of free iron and loss of growth inhibition coincided in patient serum samples taken daily during myeloablative therapy. Intravenously administered apotransferrin effectively bound free iron and restored the growth inhibition in patient sera. The results suggest that exogenous apotransferrin might protect stem cell transplant patients against infections by S. epidermidis and possibly other opportunistic pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Leni
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Bonsdorff
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sahlstedt
authors.forename: Freja
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ebeling
authors.forename: Tapani
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruutu
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parkkinen
mesh_terms: D001059:Apoproteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001059:Apoproteins; D014168:Transferrin; D007501:Iron