title: Microbiological and host features associated with corynebacteriosis in cancer patients: a five-year study.
abstract: During a five-year period, 932 clinical isolates from cancer patients treated in a Brazilian reference centre were identified as corynebacteria; 86% of the cultures came from patients who had been clinically and microbiologically classified as infected and 77.1% of these patients had been hospitalised (71.1% from surgical wards). The adult solid tumour was the most common underlying malignant disease (66.7%). The univariate and multivariate analyses showed that hospitalised patients had a six-fold greater risk (OR = 5.5, 95% CI = 1.15-26.30 p = 0.033) related to 30-day mortality. The predominant species were Corynebacterium amycolatum (44.7%), Corynebacterium minutissimum (18.3%) and Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum (8.5%). The upper urinary tracts, surgical wounds, lower respiratory tracts, ulcerated tumours and indwelling venous catheters were the most frequent sources of C. amycolatum strains. Corynebacterium jeikeium infection occurred primarily in neutropenic patients who have used venous catheters, while infection caused by C. amycolatum and other species emerged mainly in patients with solid tumours.
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Lmd
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Mc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Tcf
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Camello
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Lcs
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thuler
authors.forename: Al
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mattos-Guaraldi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000382:microbiology; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors