Chryseobacterium respiratory tract infections in patients with cystic fibrosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of infections by Chryseobacterium in a cohort of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of these strains, to examine their DNA fingerprinting and to evaluate some clinical outcomes of patients infected by these bacteria.


METHODS
Patients (300) attending a Regional Cystic Fibrosis Unit were enrolled in this study over 4 years. Natural or induced sputum samples were processed for microscopic and cultural tests. For phenotypic identification, automated and manual systems were used. For chemosusceptibility test, an automatic broth microdilution test and a disk-diffusion test were used and strains underwent DNA fingerprinting by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).


RESULTS
Thirty-five strains of Chryseobacterium were isolated from 22 patients. These strains showed a broad-spectrum antimicrobial resistance, with activity only for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and quinolones. PFGE profiles of all isolates were generally heterogeneous, suggesting independent circulation.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report about clinical isolates of Chryseobacterium spp from CF patients in an Italian Centre. The infection by Chryseobacterium was not associated to a deterioration of pulmonary function and mortality: therefore, all patients infected by Chryseobacterium were co-infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 3 of these were also co-infected by Burkholderia cepacia complex.
Lambiase
Antonietta
A
Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathology Luigi Califano, University of Naples Federico II, Italy. alambias@unina.it
Del Pezzo
Mariassunta
M
Raia
Valeria
V
Sepe
Angela
A
Ferri
Pasqualina
P
Rossano
Fabio
F
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D045247:Chryseobacterium; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents