The clinical importance of gram-positive anaerobic cocci isolated at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, in 1987

Abstract

Summary.The clinical importance of the gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC) isolated in 1987 at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, is assessed. Of about 800 anaerobic isolates, 209 (27 YO) were GPAC, of which 67 (32%) were from abscesses and 22 (11 YO) were in pure growth. Four species comprised 77% of the 168 isolates available for study: Peptostreptococcus magnus (55 isolates, 33 YO), P. micros (23, 14 YO), P. asaccharolyticus (24, 14 Yo) and P. anaerobius (27, 16 YO). Different species were associated with different sites, from P. magnus (usually skin-associated sites ; normally cultured with aerobes, infrequently with other anaerobes), P. asaccharolyticus (distributed widely) and P. anaerobius (usually genitourinary and gastrointestinal; always below the diaphragm) to P. micros (always deep sites with other anaerobes). P. magnus was isolated from 15 abscesses and was obtained in pure culture from 11 specimens, six of them abscesses developing from infected sebaceous cysts. P. micros was usually isolated from soft tissue abscesses, never from the skin, and with a characteristic mixed flora consisting of " Streptococcus milleri" and anaerobic gram-negative rods. P. heliotrinreducens was a rare isolate from similar specimens. P. asaccharolyticus was cultured from a wide variety of sites, typically mixed with both aerobes and anaerobes, and frequently from abscesses. Most isolates of P. anaerobius came from gastrointestinal or female genitourinary specimens, never from above the diaphragm and rarely from the skin; cultures were usually heavily mixed. Isolates of P. vaginalis and the " bGAL" group made up 11 YO of strains and were usually cultured from superficial sites, P. vaginalis often from post-operative wound infections with Staphylococcus aureus. There were only two isolates of P. hydrogenalis, three of P. tetradius and none of P. barnesae, P. prevotii, P. lacrimalis, P. lactolyticus, P. productus or Peptococcus niger. GPAC are a heterogeneous group associated with a wide variety of infections, particularly abscesses, and are frequently isolated in pure culture. They deserve further study.

Description of Three New Species of the Genus Peptostreptococcus from Human Clinical Specimens: Peptostreptococcus harei sp. nov., Peptostreptococcus ivorii sp. nov., and Peptostreptococcus octavius sp. nov.

“…The major VFAs produced in Robertson's cooked meat broth are butyric and isovaleric acids, and smaller, variable quantities of acetic, propionic, isobutyric, and n-valeric acids are also produced. P. ivorii has been isolated from a leg ulcer, a preputial sac, and an intrauterine contraceptive device (20). The type strain, DSM 10022, was isolated from a leg ulcer; it was cocultured with P. magnus, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Bacteroides ureolyticus.…”

“…The major VFAs produced in Robertson's cooked meat broth are acetic acid and butyric acid, and smaller quantities of propionic, isovaleric, and n-valeric acids are sometimes produced. P. harei has been isolated from antral washout specimens, pus from the peritoneal cavity, infected sacral sores, and abscesses of the face, neck, breast, and thigh, occasionally in pure culture (20). The type strain, DSM 10020, was isolated from pus from an infected sacral sore of a diabetic patient; it was cocultured with Peptostreptococcus magnus, Enterococcus spp., and Prevotella melaninogenica.…”

“…The 127 strains investigated by PyMS comprised 101 clinical strains and 26 reference strains included for comparison. Ninety clinical strains were selected from a previously described collection (19,20) of 256 strains from St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, United Kingdom; these strains were chosen to represent the full range from biochemically typical strains to highly atypical strains. They were supplemented with 11 strains isolated at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, United Kingdom; 7 of these strains resembled Peptostreptococcus tetradius, 1 resembled Peptostreptococcus indolicus, and 3 resembled Peptostreptococcus hydrogenalis.…”

“…The major VFAs produced in Robertson's cooked meat broth are butyric, isovaleric, and n-caproic acids. P. octavius has been isolated from intranasal specimens, skin, and normal vaginal flora (20,24). The type strain, NCTC 9810, was isolated from normal nasal flora.…”

16S Ribosomal DNA Sequence-Based Analysis of Clinically Significant Gram-Positive Anaerobic Cocci

“…Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC) are part of the commensal flora in human and animals and are also commonly associated with a variety of human infections (10,15); data from four surveys of anaerobic infections (2,14,19,37) are consistent in indicating that they account for about 25 to 30% of all anaerobic isolates. Extensive taxonomic changes have occurred recently among this group of bacteria (6,20), especially in clinically important genera such as Finegoldia, Micromonas, Peptostreptococcus, and Peptoniphilus.…”