Endocarditis due to Aerococcus urinae: diagnostic tests, fatty acid composition and killing kinetics

Two cases of Aerococcus urinae endocarditis are reported. The organism is not included in any database of commercial identification systems at this time. Formation of tetrades and positive reactions for leucine arylamidase and beta-glucuronidase pointed strongly to A. urinae. The cellular fatty acid pattern was similar to that of Aerococcus viridans, with predominantly C16:0, C18:1 omega 9c and C18:0; the presence of C18:1 omega 7t differentiated our isolates from A. viridans and can support the diagnosis of A. urinae. Furthermore, susceptibility to penicillin but resistance to cotrimoxazole represents a pattern opposite to that of A. viridans. Minimal inhibition concentrations of gentamicin and netilmicin were < or = 64 mg/l but those of tobramycin were > or = 256 mg/l. Penicillin combined with either gentamicin or netilmicin showed distinct synergy in killing kinetics. These combinations seem to be the appropriate regimen to treat A. urinae endocarditis.