Bacteremia due to Lachnoanaerobaculum umeaense in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia during chemotherapy: A case report, and a review of the literature

Abstract

The present case reports a bacteremia due to Lachnoanaerobaculum umeaense (a Gram-positive, filamentous, rod-shaped, anaerobic, spore-forming bacillus present in the human oral microbiota) in a patient treated for acute myeloid leukemia. After failed identification by MALDI-TOF, identification was done by sequencing of 16s rRNA. The patient was successfully treated with Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and ciprofloxacin for seven days. Comparison of V1-V3 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene gene with published sequences failed to classify the strain as pathogenic or non-pathogenic based on this phylogenetic classification alone. Although Lachnoanaerobaculum gingivalis are known to be associated with bacteremia in patients with acute myeloid leukemia, this clinical case of infection by L. umeaense argues for further studies that will lead to more efficient classification of the infection by these microorganisms.

Keywords: 16S rRNA gene sequencing; Acute myeloid leukemia; Bacteremia; Lachnoaerobaculum umeaense; Phylogenetic analysis.