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Viridans Streptococci Isolated by Culture from Blood of Cancer Patients: Clinical and Microbiologic Analysis of 50 Cases

Section of Clinical Microbiology,¹ Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas²

Received 13 July 2005/ Returned for modification 21 August 2005/ Accepted 9 October 2005

Clinical and microbiologic studies of 50 cases of viridans streptococcal bacteremia in cancer patients were performed. The bacteria were identified to species level by sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. At least nine Streptococcus spp. were found, including S. mitis (25 strains, 50.0% of 50); currently unnamed Streptococcus spp. (11 strains); S. parasanguis (five strains); S. anginosus (three strains); S. salivarius (two strains); and one strain each of S. gordonii, S. sanguis, S. sobrinus, and S. vestibularis. There were no S. oralis strains. Among 11 antibiotics of nine classes tested, no resistance to vancomycin, linezolid, or quinupristin-dalfopristin was seen. Resistance to penicillin (MIC, 4 to 12 µg/ml) was noted only among S. mitis strains (28.0%, 7/25) and not non-S. mitis strains (0/25) (P = 0.004). Significantly more S. mitis strains than non-S. mitis strains were resistant to fluoroquinolones and to 3 classes of antibiotics. Isolation of quinolone-resistant organisms was associated with the prior usage of quinolones (P = 0.002). Quantitative blood cultures showed that the strains resistant to levofloxacin or gatifloxacin were associated with higher colony counts than were their corresponding nonresistant strains. The young and elderly patients also had higher levels of bacteremia caused predominantly by S. mitis. Septic shock was present in 17 (34.0% of 50) patients, and 13 of those cases were caused by S. mitis (P = 0.007). These results suggest that S. mitis is the most common cause of viridans streptococcal bacteremia in cancer patients and is more resistant to antibiotics than other species.

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