Spectrum and outcome of microbiologically documentedListeria monocytogenes infections in cancer patients

Abstract

At the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston), Listeria monocytogenes was cultured from 14 patients between 1980 and 1987. The case records of 11 of these patients were reviewed. Underlying malignancies included acute leukemia (three), lymphoma (two), myeloma (one), adenocarcinoma of colon (two), carcinoma of breast (one), carcinoma of lung (one), and Kaposi's sarcoma associated with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (one). Listeria monocytogenes was cultured from blood (eight patients), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (two patients), and from both blood and CSF in one patient. All patients were receiving immunosuppressive therapy including corticosteroids in seven. An absolute neutrophil count of less than 1000/mm3 was noted in five. Bacteremia was the predominant type of infection and ten patients responded to antimicrobial therapy.

Secular trends in mortality associated with bloodstream infections in 4268 patients hospitalized in a cancer referral left between 1975 and 1989

“…High mortality rates were observed after infection in cancer patients by Pseudomonas species [17,28,29], members of the family Enterobacteriaceae [17,20,23,25,26] and yeasts [15,16]. Other reports of the mortality associated with bloodstream infections are either not recent [21,31] or do not refer specifically to cancer patients [30–36] or are limited to a short period of observation [37,38]. However, in a 3‐year study of positive blood cultures, the rates of mortality after bacteremic episodes caused by various microorganisms were essentially the same as ours [37], with the highest percentages following infections caused by yeasts, Pseudomonas species, S. aureus and members of the family Enterobacteriaceae [37].…”

“…The mortality associated in cancer patients with blood infections caused by a single bacterial species has been frequently studied [17–29], but variations in the incidence of such infections over a period of time and in the associated mortality have not been reported. Furthermore, the trends in nosocomial primary bloodstream infections in the US between 1980 and 1989 have been published, but no emphasis was placed on the associated mortality [8].…”

Bacterial and fungal microflora in surgically removed lung cancer samples

“…Candida species have been isolated from patients with lower respiratory tract infection [7,20-22]. Haemophilus influenza [6,7,19-21], Staphylococcus epidermidis [6,7,17-19], Streptococcus species [6,7,17,19,25], Legionella pneymophila [23], as well as strains of Bacillus [7], Listeria [24] and Streptococcus [6,7,17,19,25] have been also identified in patients with different pulmonary diseases. Very similarly, the bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae, a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia, has been implicated in lung carcinogenesis [11-16].…”

“…Other studies have demonstrated the presence of colonies in respiratory tract in patients with cancer [19]; Haemophilus influenza [6,7,19-21] and Candida albicans [7,20-22] have been found in patients with lower respiratory tract malignancies. Legionella pneymophila has been diagnosed in patients with cancer [23], as well as strains of Bacillus [7], Listeria [24], and Streptococcus [6,7,17,19,25]. …”

Συσχέτιση Του Καρκίνου Του Πνεύμονα Με Διάφορους Ιούς

“…107,108,[120][121][122][123] Επίσης σε καρκινοπαθείς έχουν ανευρεθεί legionella pneumophila, τύποι βάκιλων, λιστέρια και στρεπτόκοκκοι. 124,107,108,118,120,125,126 Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι, προηγούμενες αναδρομικές και προοπτικές μελέτες προσανατολίζονταν σε ορολογική τεκμηρίωση χρόνιων βακτηριακών και μυκητιασικών φλεγμονών. 115 Για πρώτη φορά και μάλιστα σε αυτήν την εργασία διερευνώνται καρκινικοί πνευμονικοί ιστοί όσον αφορά την επικράτηση μικροβίων μέσα σε αυτούς.…”