This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ishak, M A Articles by Wenzel, R P Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ishak, M A Articles by Wenzel, R P

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Clin Microbiol. 1985 December; 22(6): 1025-1029

Association of slime with pathogenicity of coagulase-negative staphylococci causing nosocomial septicemia.

ABSTRACT

To assess the role of slime in the pathogenesis of nosocomial bloodstream infections caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci, we compared the characteristics of 27 nosocomial bloodstream isolates with those of 27 skin isolates from non-hospital personnel. Of 27 bloodstream isolates, 14 were judged to be significant by a clinical index, and 13 were contaminants. Slime production was observed in 13 of 14 significant isolates but in only 3 of 13 contaminants (P = 0.0003) and 4 of 27 skin isolates (P = 0.0001). The 14 pathogens were identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis. Only 7 of 13 contaminants and 9 of 27 skin isolates belonged to the same species (P less than 0.006). Slime-producing strains of S. epidermidis represented 13 of 14 pathogens but only 2 of 13 contaminants (P less than 0.0003). Neither adherence to Teflon catheters nor phagocytosis and killing of coagulase-negative staphylococci by polymorphonuclear leukocytes was significantly influenced by slime production. Nevertheless, the identity of the organism and the slime production test predicted the clinical significance of blood isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci with an overall accuracy of 89%.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Boynukara, B., Gulhan, T., Gurturk, K., Alisarli, M., Ogun, E. (2007). Evolution of slime production by coagulase-negative staphylococci and enterotoxigenic characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from various human clinical specimens. J Med Microbiol 56: 1296-1300 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• de Araujo, G. L., Coelho, L. R., de Carvalho, C. B., Maciel, R. M., Coronado, A. Z., Rozenbaum, R., Ferreira-Carvalho, B. T., Sa Figueiredo, A. M., Teixeira, L. A. (2006). Commensal isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis are also well equipped to produce biofilm on polystyrene surfaces. J Antimicrob Chemother 57: 855-864 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Garcia, P., Benitez, R., Lam, M., Salinas, A. M., Wirth, H., Espinoza, C., Garay, T., Depix, M. S., Labarca, J., Guzman, A. M. (2004). Coagulase-negative staphylococci: clinical, microbiological and molecular features to predict true bacteraemia. J Med Microbiol 53: 67-72 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• de Silva, G. D. I., Kantzanou, M., Justice, A., Massey, R. C., Wilkinson, A. R., Day, N. P. J., Peacock, S. J. (2002). The ica Operon and Biofilm Production in Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Associated with Carriage and Disease in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 382-388 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rupp, M. E., Ulphani, J. S., Fey, P. D., Bartscht, K., Mack, D. (1999). Characterization of the Importance of Polysaccharide Intercellular Adhesin/Hemagglutinin of Staphylococcus epidermidis in the Pathogenesis of Biomaterial-Based Infection in a Mouse Foreign Body Infection Model. Infect. Immun. 67: 2627-2632 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Souvenir, D., Anderson, D. E. Jr., Palpant, S., Mroch, H., Askin, S., Anderson, J., Claridge, J., Eiland, J., Malone, C., Garrison, M. W., Watson, P., Campbell, D. M. (1998). Blood Cultures Positive for Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci: Antisepsis, Pseudobacteremia, and Therapy of Patients. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 1923-1926 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Perdreau-Remington, F., Sande, M. A., Peters, G., Chambers, H. F. (1998). The Abilities of a Staphylococcus epidermidis Wild-Type Strain and Its Slime-Negative Mutant To Induce Endocarditis in Rabbits Are Comparable. Infect. Immun. 66: 2778-2781 [Abstract] [Full Text]