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Updated: Nov 18, 2025

Identification of Rare Bacterial Pathogens by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS
Published on: July 11, 2016
Corynebacterium jeikeium-induced infective endocarditis and perivalvular abscess diagnosed by 16S ribosomal RNA
Waki Imoto1, Yosuke Takahashi2, Koichi Yamada3
1Department of Infection Control Science, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan; Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, Osaka City University Hospital, 1-5-7 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8586, Japan; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan; Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Osaka City University Hospital, 1-5-7 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8586, Japan.
Introduction:
Corynebacterium jeikeium normally presents on human skin, and it is often judged as contamination when it is cultured from blood. C. jeikeium can cause infective endocarditis, especially, that associated with cardiac surgery and prosthetic valvular endocarditis.
Case Report:
A 66-year-old Japanese male patient was diagnosed with C. jeikeium-induced infective endocarditis (IE) and perivalvular abscess after a coronary artery bypass grafting and aortic valve replacement with bioprosthesis; pyogenic spondylodiscitis was also observed. Patch repair for aortic valve annulus and re-Bentall procedure with bioprosthesis was performed for IE and perivalvular abscess. The causative bacterium was confirmed as C. jeikeium on 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing of surgical sample and positive blood culture. The patient underwent six weeks of intravenous antibacterial treatment with vancomycin and an additional two weeks of oral treatment with linezolid, following which, his condition improved. Corynebacterium jeikeium can cause infective endocarditis and perivalvular abscess, which is a more severe condition than IE.
Conclusion:
16S ribosomal RNA sequencing is useful in diagnosing bacterial species that can cause contamination, such as Corynebacterium spp.
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