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. 2006 Jan 20:6:9.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-6-9.

Bloodstream and endovascular infections due to Abiotrophia defectiva and Granulicatella species

Laurence Senn  1 , José M Entenza, Gilbert Greub, Katia Jaton, Aline Wenger, Jacques Bille, Thierry Calandra, Guy Prod'hom
Affiliations

Bloodstream and endovascular infections due to Abiotrophia defectiva and Granulicatella species

Laurence Senn et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Abiotrophia and Granulicatella species, previously referred to as nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS), are significant causative agents of endocarditis and bacteraemia. In this study, we reviewed the clinical manifestations of infections due to A. defectiva and Granulicatella species that occurred at our institution between 1998 and 2004.

Methods: The analysis included all strains of NVS that were isolated from blood cultures or vascular graft specimens. All strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Patients' medical charts were reviewed for each case of infection.

Results: Eleven strains of NVS were isolated during the 6-year period. Identification of the strains by 16S rRNA showed 2 genogroups: Abiotrophia defectiva (3) and Granulicatella adiacens (6) or "para-adiacens" (2). The three A. defectiva strains were isolated from immunocompetent patients with endovascular infections, whereas 7 of 8 Granulicatella spp. strains were isolated from immunosuppressed patients, mainly febrile neutropenic patients. We report the first case of "G. para-adiacens" bacteraemia in the setting of febrile neutropenia.

Conclusion: We propose that Granulicatella spp. be considered as a possible agent of bacteraemia in neutropenic patients.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Phylogenetic analysis of the strains. Phylogenetic tree showing the affiliation of 3 isolates to A. defectiva, 6 isolates to G. adiacens and 2 isolates to "G. para-adiacens". The tree was inferred from 1315 base pairs 16S rRNA sequence data by the neighbour-joining method using the Kimura-corrected p-distance. Streptococcus oralis was used as outgroup. Genbank accession numbers are shown in parentheses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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