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Growing a Cystic Fibrosis-Relevant Polymicrobial Biofilm to Probe Community Phenotypes
03:53

Growing a Cystic Fibrosis-Relevant Polymicrobial Biofilm to Probe Community Phenotypes

Published on: April 19, 2024

Early microbial colonization of cystic fibrosis patients identified by neonatal screening, with emphasis on

Helena A P H M Souza1, Keite S Nogueira, Adriana P Matos

  • 1Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR. helenahms@onda.com.br

Jornal De Pediatria
|September 28, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacteria found in cystic fibrosis patients, with some strains showing resistance to oxacillin, possibly acquired in hospitals. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was less frequent in this Brazilian cohort.

Area of Science:

  • Medical microbiology
  • Infectious diseases
  • Cystic Fibrosis research

Background:

  • Neonatal screening identifies cystic fibrosis (CF) patients early.
  • Bacterial colonization is a significant concern in CF management.
  • Understanding pathogen prevalence and resistance is crucial for treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To prospectively assess bacterial colonization in CF patients identified via neonatal screening.
  • To determine antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated bacteria.
  • To perform molecular typing of Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 25 CF patients.
  • Oropharyngeal swabs collected and cultured.
  • Phenotypic identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
  • Molecular typing of S. aureus using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent isolate (76% of patients).
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa (36%) and Haemophilus spp. (76%) were also identified.
  • 18 oxacillin-resistant S. aureus isolates (24.6%) shared identical profiles, suggesting hospital acquisition.
  • Oxacillin-susceptible S. aureus isolates showed diverse profiles, indicating community origins.

Conclusions:

  • S. aureus demonstrated higher prevalence and earlier isolation than other pathogens in this CF cohort.
  • Multi-sensitive S. aureus strains were diverse, suggesting limited transmissibility among community strains.
  • Oxacillin-resistant S. aureus isolates likely represent hospital-acquired infections.
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa was less prevalent in this specific patient group.
Abstract

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