Eleven isolates of Enterococcus faecalis causing endocarditis were screened for possible virulence factors with PCR and phenotypic assays. The gene coding for the enterococcal surface protein (esp) was detected in one isolate only, and haemolysin was produced by two isolates. Aggregation substance, biofilm formation and gelatinase were present in seven, nine and eight isolates, respectively. Predisposing factors, particularly hospitalisation and multiple antibiotic therapy, appeared to be more relevant to the development of enterococcal endocarditis following bloodstream infections than the pattern of virulence factors. © 2004 Copyright by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
Analysis of virulence factors in cases of enterococcal endocarditis / L., Baldassarri; R., Creti; C. R., Arciola; L., Montanaro; Venditti, Mario; DI ROSA, Roberta. - In: CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION. - ISSN 1198-743X. - 10:11(2004), pp. 1006-1008. [10.1111/j.1469-0691.2004.00999.x]
Analysis of virulence factors in cases of enterococcal endocarditis
VENDITTI, Mario;DI ROSA, Roberta
2004
Abstract
Eleven isolates of Enterococcus faecalis causing endocarditis were screened for possible virulence factors with PCR and phenotypic assays. The gene coding for the enterococcal surface protein (esp) was detected in one isolate only, and haemolysin was produced by two isolates. Aggregation substance, biofilm formation and gelatinase were present in seven, nine and eight isolates, respectively. Predisposing factors, particularly hospitalisation and multiple antibiotic therapy, appeared to be more relevant to the development of enterococcal endocarditis following bloodstream infections than the pattern of virulence factors. © 2004 Copyright by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
