Characterization of Bacillus cereus isolates associated with fatal pneumonias:: Strains are closely related to Bacillus anthracis and Harbor B-anthracis virulence genes
Characterization of Bacillus cereus isolates associated with fatal pneumonias:: Strains are closely related to Bacillus anthracis and Harbor B-anthracis virulence genes
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DOI：
10.1128/jcm.00561-06
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发表时间：
2006-09-01
影响因子：
9.4
通讯作者：
Jackson, Paul J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hoffmaster, Alex R.;Hill, Karen K.;Jackson, Paul J.
蜡样芽孢杆菌在自然界中无处不在，虽然大多数分离株似乎是无害的，但有些与食源性疾病，牙周病和其他更严重的感染有关。在一个这样的感染，B。蜡状芽孢杆菌G9241被鉴定为1994年路易斯安那州一名焊工严重肺炎的病原体。发现该分离株携带大部分B。炭疽菌毒力质粒pXO 1（13）。在这里，我们报告的表征两个临床和一个环境B。蜡样芽胞杆菌分离物收集（引诱得克萨斯州金属工人的两个致命的肺炎病例的调查。分子分型结果表明，这两例病例不是由同一菌株引起的。然而，三个分离物中的一个与B无法区分。蜡状芽孢杆菌G9241。PCR分析表明两株临床分离株均含有B。炭疽pXO 1毒素基因。一个临床分离株和从受害者工作场所收集的环境分离株含有B中荚膜生物合成所需的cap A、B和C基因。炭疽病两种临床分离株均表达荚膜，但均不含聚-D-谷氨酸。虽然大多数B。蜡状芽孢杆菌分离株不是机会致病菌，只有有限数量的菌株引起食源性疾病，这些结果表明，一些B.蜡状菌菌株可在看似健康的患者中引起严重甚至致命的感染。
Bacillus cereus is ubiquitous in nature, and while most isolates appear to be harmless, some are associated with food-borne illnesses, periodontal diseases, and other more serious infections. In one such infection, B. cereus G9241 was identified as the causative agent of a severe pneumonia in a Louisiana welder in 1994. This isolate was found to harbor most of the B. anthracis virulence plasmid pXO1 (13). Here we report the characterization of two clinical and one environmental B. cereus isolate collected (luring an investigation of two fatal pneumonia cases in Texas metal workers. Molecular subtyping revealed that the two cases were not caused by the same strain. However, one of the three isolates was indistinguishable from B. cereus G9241. PCR analysis demonstrated that both clinical isolates contained B. anthracis pXO1 toxin genes. One clinical isolate and the environmental isolate collected from that victim's worksite contained the cap A, B, and C genes required for capsule biosynthesis in B. anthracis. Both clinical isolates expressed a capsule; however, neither was composed Of poly-D-glutamic acid. Although most B. cereus isolates are not opportunistic pathogens and only a limited number cause food-borne illnesses, these results demonstrate that some B. cereus strains can cause severe and even fatal infections in patients who appear to be otherwise healthy.