Association of Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis with Bacteremia

• Published in: Clinical Infectious Diseases. Dec 1996 Vol. 23; no. Supplement-1; pp. S83 - S86
• Main Authors: Kato, Naoki, Kato, Haru, Watanabe, Kunitomo, Ueno, Kazue
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.12.1996; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Anaerobic bacteria; Bacteremia; Bacteremia - microbiology; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial sepsis; Bacteriological Techniques; Bacteroides fragilis; Bacteroides fragilis - genetics; Bacteroides fragilis - isolation & purification; Bacteroides fragilis - pathogenicity; Bacteroides Infections - microbiology; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Cell culture techniques; Cell Line; Cell lines; DNA Primers - genetics; Enterotoxins; Enterotoxins - biosynthesis; Enterotoxins - genetics; Genes, Bacterial; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Toxins; Virulence; Virulence factors; Japan; Infection; Human; Polymerase chain reaction; Toxin; Bacteroides fragilis; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Diagnosis; Method; Bacteremia; Bacteroidaceae
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/clinids/23.Supplement_1.S83

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was compared with cell culture assay performed with use of HT29/C1 (human colonic epithelial) cells for identifying strains of enterotoxin-producing Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) isolated from extraintestinal specimens. A total of 188 unselected strains obtained over 2 years at a central clinical laboratory in Tokyo were tested. Overall, 35 strains (18.6%) were positive by cell culture and PCR assay, 152 strains were negative by both assays, and 1 strain was negative by cell culture assay but positive by the PCR assay; the same results were obtained in repeated assays. Among 64 strains from blood, 18 (28.1%) were ETBF, a rate that was significantly higher (P < .05) than the 17 ETBF (13.7%) among 124 strains from other sites. These results suggest that PCR assay is a simple and reliable tool for detecting ETBF and that enterotoxin may be a virulence factor in bacteremia caused by B. fragilis.