Ghada Ismail
Ain Shams University, Egypt
Title: Case report: Leuconostoc paramesentroids biliary infection in a liver transplanted Egyptian patient
Biography
Biography: Ghada Ismail
Abstract
Background: Leuconostoc species are important pathogenic bacteria in individuals with poor immune function especially liver transplanted patients. Leuconostoc species are catalase-negative, gram-positive microorganisms with coccoid morphology which have been previously considered as agents that cause severe hospital outbreaks that threaten the lives of large numbers of persons.
Objectives: To isolate& differentiate Leuconostoc species among Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) isolates which recovered from clinical specimens of liver transplanted patients.
Patients & Methods: Forty liver transplanted patients in Ain Shams University Specialized Hospital were involved in this study that had the criteria of post-operative biliary infection over a period of one year from January to December 2010.Liver function tests, Complete blood count, Doppler ultra-sonography on the abdomen and Magnetic Resonance.Nasal and biliary secretions were collected and submitted for culture and sensitivity. Twenty clinical isolates of Vancomycin Resistant streptococci were isolated from twenty patients (from both bile and nasal swabs). The strains were identified by conventional microbiological techniques; API20 Strept, sequencing PCR and antimicrobial susceptibility by disk diffusion method & Vancomycin E-test was done.
Results: Two Leuconostoc paramesentroids isolates were identified among 20 clinical isolates of VRE. Both were isolated from one patient (nasal and bile) which were sensitive to Penicillin, Ampicillin, Erythromycin, Gentamycin, Teicoplanin, Tetracycline, Clindamycin and resistant to Vancomycin(MIC ≥256mg/mL).
Conclusion: Leuconostoc species may be considered as a colonizer with potential pathogenicity especially in immuno-compromised transplanted patients which must be screened and differentiated from VRE isolates.