Granulicatella adiacens was first described as nutritionally variant streptococci, and named as Streptococcus adjacens and Abiotrophia adiacens. Granulicatella species are flora of oral cavity, upper respiratory, urogenital, and gastrointestinal tracts, and are normal often isolated from patients with infective endocarditis. G. adiacens endocarditis is associated with high mortality, but the species hardly grow in the ordinary growth media. We report a case of septicemia caused by G. adiacens in a 52-year-old woman with liver cirrhosis and chronic renal failure.
Abiotrophia ; Endocarditis ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Mouth ; Sepsis* ; Streptococcus

Granulicatella adiacens was first described as nutritionally variant streptococci, and named as Streptococcus adjacens and Abiotrophia adiacens. Granulicatella species are flora of oral cavity, upper respiratory, urogenital, and gastrointestinal tracts, and are normal often isolated from patients with infective endocarditis. G. adiacens endocarditis is associated with high mortality, but the species hardly grow in the ordinary growth media. We report a case of septicemia caused by G. adiacens in a 52-year-old woman with liver cirrhosis and chronic renal failure.
Abiotrophia ; Endocarditis ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Mouth ; Sepsis* ; Streptococcus

PURPOSE: Kawasaki disease can cause cardiovascular complications if not properly treated from the beginning. Recently, serum amyloid A(SAA) was reported to be a predictive factor of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, it was examined whether the existence of coronary artery abnormality in Kawasaki disease can be predicted in acute stage. METHODS: Forty nine patients who were diagnosed with Kawasaki disease between October, 2006 and May, 2007 at Yonsei University, Wonju College of Medicine were selected for this study. We reviewed results of CBC, AST, ALT, CK, LDH, total bilirubin, albumin, CRP, CK-MB, troponin-I, LDL, HDL, SAA, ESR. We divided the patients into two groups: Group A consisting of patients with coronary artery lesions, and group B consisting of patients without coronary artery lesions. RESULTS: CRP was significantly higher in group A (group A 11.0+/-7.0 mg/dL vs group B 5.3+/-5.3 mg/dL, P=0.030). SAA was slightly higher in group A but did not show any statistical significance (group A 283.8+/-357.3 microgram/mL vs group B 133.2+/-293.4 microgram/mL, P=0.128). Binary regression analysis was used to identify the significance of SAA as a predictor of coronary artery abnormality but did not find any significance (SAA OR=1.000, 95% CI=0.998-1.002, P=0.950). CONCLUSION: SAA are not significant predictors of coronary artery abnormality in Kawasaki disease but are non specific factors which increase in the acute stage.
Amyloid ; Bilirubin ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Vessels* ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Serum Amyloid A Protein* ; Troponin I

BACKGROUND: Bone turnover markers (BTMs) are widely used tool for monitoring the response to osteoporosis therapy, and the normal adult reference range is the baseline value for the treatment of osteoporosis with anti-resorptive agents. This study was aimed to establish age- and sex-specific reference ranges of serum osteocalcin and serum type I collagen C-telopeptide (S-CTX) in adults based on menstrual stage. METHODS: Serum osteocalcin, S-CTX and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured in 291 adults (men: 162, women: 129), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in women. Seven women whose serum FSH levels were >30 IU/mL were categorized as perimenopausal despite their regular menses. RESULTS: Among females with normal BMD, there were no difference in serum osteocalcin and S-CTX levels between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Females with osteopenia in pre- and postmenopausal stage showed higher serum osteocalcin and S-CTX levels than females with normal BMD. For subjects with normal BMD, reference ranges of serum osteocalcin and S-CTX were 6.4~21.6 ng/mL and 0.08~0.85 ng/mL for 30~59-year-old females. For males with normal BMD, reference ranges of serum osteocalcin were 10.1~24.3 ng/mL for 30~39 years old and 7.7~22.4 ng/mL for 40~59 years old, and reference range of CTX was 0.13~1.27 ng/mL for 30~59 years old. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide a redefinition of the criteria required in order to establish the normal reference ranges for BTMs. Moreover, we believe that our data will come in handy when used as normal reference ranges of BTMs in premenopausal women.
Adult ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Collagen Type I ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Humans ; Male ; Osteocalcin ; Osteoporosis ; Peptides ; Reference Values

BACKGROUND: Increased resistance rates to macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) antibiotics among clinical isolates of staphylococci are considered as a consequence of an expanded use of these antibiotics in the treatment of Gram-positive infections. The proportion of MLSB resistance phenotypes of staphylococci is quite different by geographical variations and study periods. The aim of the present study was to determine the distribution of MLSB resistance phenotypes among clinical isolates of staphylococci in a university hospital. METHODS: The MLSB resistance phenotypes of clinical isolates of staphylococci were investigated by the double-disk diffusion test using erythromycin and clindamycin disks. RESULTS: Of 7,916 isolates, 55.7% exhibited a constitutive resistance phenotype (cMLSB) whereas 8.1% expressed an inducible resistance phenotype (iMLSB). Among 3,419 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), 32.6% and 10.0% exhibited cMLSB and iMLSB resistance phenotypes, respectively. Of 4,497 Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 73.1% and 6.8% were cMLSB and iMLSB resistance phenotypes, respectively. cMLSB was detected among 90.2% of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 46.5% of methicillin-resistant CNS (MRCNS), 3.2% of methicillin-susceptible CNS (MSCNS), and 2.2% of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). iMLSB was detected among 16.5% of MSSA, 11.5% of MRCNS, 6.7% of MSCNS, and 4.4% of MRSA. CONCLUSION: MLSB resistance was more prevalent among S. aureus isolates than CNS strains. Although cMLSB was the most frequently detected resistance phenotype among the total staphylococcal isolates, methicillin-susceptible strains exhibited somewhat higher iMLSB resistance rates compared with methicillin-resistant strains.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Clindamycin ; Diffusion ; Erythromycin ; Methicillin Resistance ; Phenotype ; Staphylococcus aureus

BACKGROUND: The association of Streptococcus bovis biotypes with the type of clinical infection and underlying malignancies and data on antimicrobial susceptibility of S. bovis have rarely been reported in Korea. The aim of this investigation was to characterize the clinical features of patients with S. bovis bacteremia, and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of S. bovis strains isolated from blood cultures. METHODS: The clinical data of 67 S. bovis isolates between May 1998 and April 2005 at Wonju Christian Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The organism was identified by API Strep 32 kit and, for blood isolates, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the disk diffusion method and penicillin MICs were determined by E test. RESULTS: Of the 67 S. bovis isolates, 18 (27%) were biotype I and 49 (73%) were biotype II. Isolation rates by specimen type were, in decreasing order, wound. 37%; blood, 19%; and urine, 12%. Of the 13 S. bovis bacteremias, 2 were caused by biotype I and 11 were by biotype II; liver diseases (46%) were the most common underlying diseases; none of the 13 patients had gastrointestinal malignancies; one and three isolates were intermediate and resistant to penicillin, respectively; eleven were resistant to erythromycin; two and five were intermediate and resistant to clindamycin, respectively. CONCLUSION: Most of the S. bovis isolates from blood were biotype II. Liver diseases were the most common underlying diseases. S. bovis isolates from blood displayed a high rate of resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin.
Bacteremia* ; Clindamycin ; Diffusion ; Erythromycin ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Penicillins ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus bovis* ; Streptococcus* ; Wounds and Injuries

Massive intravascular hemolysis secondary to Clostridium perfringens septicemia is rare but often fatal. We report a case of a fatal clostridial hemolytic complication in a 71-year-old woman with probable refractory anemia. The patient was admitted to the emergency room due to a comatose mental state and a high fever. Laboratory analysis showed massive hemolysis. She died from severe anemia two hours after admission. The next day, blood cultures grew gram positive cocci and boxcarshaped gram positive rods, which were identified as coagulase-negative staphylococci and C. perfringens, respectively.
Aged ; Anemia ; Anemia, Refractory ; Clostridium perfringens* ; Clostridium* ; Coma ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Fever ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; Gram-Positive Rods ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Sepsis*

The aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial susceptibilities and macrolide resistance mechanisms of beta-hemolytic viridans group streptococci (VGS) in a tertiary Korean hospital. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of seven antimicrobials were determined for 103 beta-hemolytic VGS isolated from various specimens. The macrolide resistance mechanisms of erythromycin-resistant isolates were studied by the double disk test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The overall resistance rates of beta-hemolytic VGS were found to be 47.5% to tetracycline, 3.9% to chloramphenicol, 9.7% to erythromycin, and 6.8% to clindamycin, whereas all isolates were susceptible to penicillin G, ceftriaxone, and vancomycin. Among ten erythromycin-resistant isolates, six isolates expressed a constitutive MLSB (cMLSB) phenotype, and each of the two isolates expressed the M phenotype, and the inducible MLSB (iMLSB) phenotype. The resistance rates to erythromycin and clindamycin of beta-hemolytic VGS seemed to be lower than those of non-beta-hemolytic VGS in our hospital, although cMLSB phenotype carrying erm(B) was dominant in beta-hemolytic VGS.
Ceftriaxone/pharmacology ; Chloramphenicol/pharmacology ; Clindamycin/pharmacology ; Cross Infection/*genetics ; *Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Erythromycin/pharmacology ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Korea ; Macrolides/*pharmacology ; Penicillin G/pharmacology ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tetracycline/pharmacology ; Vancomycin/pharmacology ; Viridans Streptococci/*genetics/*metabolism

BACKGROUND: To access the clinical usefulness of MicroScan(R) Synergies plus Combo Panels (Siemens, USA) for the identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) and Gram-positive cocci (GPC), we compared MicroScan(R) Synergies plus Combo Panels with MicroScan(R) conventional Combo Panels. METHODS: One-hundred four isolates of GNB were simultaneously tested with MicroScan(R) Synergies plus Neg Combo Type 2 Panel (SINC2) and MicroScan(R) Neg Combo Panel Type 44 (NC44). One-hundred isolates of GPC were simultaneously tested with MicroScan(R) Synergies plus Pos Combo 3 Panel (SIPC3) and MicroScan(R) Pos Combo 1A (PC1A). RESULTS: Of the GNB isolates, agreement rate of identification between SINC2 and NC44 were 92.3% to the species level and 93.3% to the genus level. Of the GPC isolates, agreement rate of identification between SIPC3 and PC1A were 85.0% to the species level and 100% to the genus level. Of the GNB isolates, agreement rate of AST according to antimicrobial agents between SINC2 and NC44 ranged from 86.5% to 100%. Among GPC isolates, agreement rate of AST according to antimicrobial agents between SIPC3 and PC1A were higher than 96.0% with the exception of gentamicin and quinupristin-dalfopristin. CONCLUSION: Compared with MicroScan(R) conventional Combo Panels (NC44, PC1A), MicroScan(R) Synergies plus Combo Panels (SINC2, SIPC3) showed high agreement rate of identification and AST, and had the advantage of more rapid reporting.
Anti-Infective Agents ; Gentamicins ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; Imidazoles ; Nitro Compounds ; Virginiamycin

Staphylococcus lugdunensis is one of coagulase-negative staphylococci, but rarely causes aggressive and progressive infections similar to Staphylococcus aureus infection. Moreover, agglutination test for clumping factor can be positive, and the colony morphology often resembles that of S. aureus, but S. lugdunensis is usually sensitive to all antimicrobials used against staphylococci. We report a case of septicemia caused by S. lugdunensis in a 71-year-old man with diarrhea, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy.
Aged ; Agglutination Tests ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Sepsis* ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus lugdunensis* ; Staphylococcus*