Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2026
Long Term Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Airway Infection in Mice
Published on: March 17, 2014
Epidemiologic characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis
F B Spencker1, S Haupt, M C Claros
1Institute of Medical Microbiology and Epidemiology of Infection, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. spef@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Objective:
To determine persistence and variability of colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients over long time periods, and to look for possible cross-colonization.
Methods:
In total, 469 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were obtained from 30 patients during the period from April 1994 to April 1996. The sources were mainly sputum and a few deep throat swabs. All grown strains dissimilar in macromorphology were processed separately. Typing with PFGE was carried out by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field electrophoresis. Genomic DNA was subjected to the rare-cutting restriction enzyme SpeI. For pyocin typing, the procedure described by Fyfe was applied.
Results:
After typing with PFGE, we observed 40 restriction profiles. Eighteen different pyocin types were found. The most frequent pyocin type was type 3, followed by types 1 and 5. Twenty-two patients were persistently colonized by one clone specific and different for each patient, and four were co-colonized by a second clone also different for each of these patients. Cross-colonization had apparently been rare in the cystic fibrosis center of Leipzig.
Conclusions:
Typing with PFGE is well suited for detailed investigations of colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients. Pyocin typing can provide additional information for epidemiologic purposes.
Insights
Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization in cystic fibrosis patients is often persistent and specific to individual clones. Cross-colonization between patients was found to be rare in this study.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant pathogen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, leading to chronic infections.
- Understanding the dynamics of P. aeruginosa colonization is crucial for infection control in CF centers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term persistence and variability of P. aeruginosa colonization in CF patients.
- To identify potential cross-colonization events within a CF patient cohort.
Main Methods:
- Collected 469 P. aeruginosa isolates from 30 CF patients over two years (April 1994-April 1996).
- Employed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for strain typing.
- Utilized pyocin typing for additional epidemiological characterization.
Main Results:
- PFGE revealed 40 distinct restriction profiles, and pyocin typing identified 18 different types.
- Twenty-two patients showed persistent colonization by a single, patient-specific clone.
- Four patients were co-colonized by a second, distinct clone; cross-colonization appeared infrequent.
Conclusions:
- PFGE is highly effective for detailed analysis of P. aeruginosa colonization in CF patients.
- Pyocin typing offers supplementary data for epidemiological investigations of P. aeruginosa infections in CF.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:23Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation, but...
01:14Atypical Pneumonia
01:29Pneumonia I: Introduction
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:24Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease III: Chronic Bronchitis Features
01:25Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance