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Propionibacterium acnes populations involved in deep pathological samples and their dynamics along the cardiac surgical pathway

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Abstract

Propionibacterium acnes belongs to the normal skin microbiota, but it is also responsible for acne vulgaris and causes serious infections such as endocarditis and surgical site infections (SSI). The P. acnes population is structured into phylogenetic groups, with phylotype I being associated with acne. Herein, we explore the link between phylotypes and clinical origins in a collection of P. acnes isolated from different body sites, involved in deep infections or healthcare-associated infections (HAI), with particular emphasis on strains from cardiac SSI. Cardiac SSI have been further studied in terms of P. acnes population dynamics during the care pathway. The recA and tly genes phylotypes were compared to hemolytic behavior, susceptibility to antimicrobial agents, and clinical origins. An original approach of recA polymerase chain reaction temporal temperature gel electrophoresis (PCR-TTGE) was developed and applied for the direct identification of P. acnes phylotypes in surgical samples, in order to assess their temporal dynamics during the surgical course. Our results underlined the preferential involvement of IA-2/IB and II phylogroups in HAI and SSI. Unlike IA and II, type IA-2/IB presented a gradual increase with the depth of sampling in the peroperative phase of cardiac surgery. Phylotypes IA and IA-2/IB were both predominant in scar tissues and on postoperative skin, suggesting a specific predisposition to recolonize skin. Particular association of the phylotype IA-2/IB with SSI and its propensity to colonize wounds in cardiac surgery was observed. We assumed that the follow-up of P. acnes phylotypes during pathological processes could give new clues for P. acnes pathogenicity.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Brigitte Lamy, Hélène Marchandin, and Anne-Laure Michon from the Bacteriology Laboratory of Montpellier Hospital for providing the clinical strains, and all the members of the cardiothoracic surgery team of Montpellier Hospital for the surgical samples collections. We also thank Valérie Macioce from Département d’Information Médicale of Montpellier Hospital for her help in reviewing the English language. This work was supported by a public grant from the French research ministry and by the association ADEREMPHA, Sauzet, France.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR 5119 ECOSYM, Equipe Pathogènes et Environnements, U.F.R. des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université Montpellier 1, 15, Avenue Charles Flahault, BP 14491, 34093, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    S. Romano-Bertrand, M. Beretta, H. Jean-Pierre & E. Jumas-Bilak

  2. Hospital Hygiene and Infection Control Team, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

    S. Romano-Bertrand & E. Jumas-Bilak

  3. Bacteriology Laboratory, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

    H. Jean-Pierre & S. Parer

  4. Cardio-thoracic Surgery Unit, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

    J.-M. Frapier

  5. Cardio-thoracic Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

    B. Calvet

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  1. S. Romano-Bertrand
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  2. M. Beretta
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Correspondence to S. Romano-Bertrand.

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Romano-Bertrand, S., Beretta, M., Jean-Pierre, H. et al. Propionibacterium acnes populations involved in deep pathological samples and their dynamics along the cardiac surgical pathway. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 34, 287–301 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-014-2228-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-014-2228-2

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