Search

We examined predominant Staphylococcus aureusisolated from lesions of various skin diseases, and during the past 3 years, 113 methicillin-sensitive and 31 methicillin-resistant S. aureushave been isolated. The predominant species isolated from almost all of the primary bacteriological cultures was S. aureus.The skin diseases from which cultures were most frequently prepared were atopic dermatitis, followed by ulcers. S. aureuswas the predominant species in two-thirds or more of cases of all of the different skin diseases examined. The predominant species identified, other than S. aureusincluded Streptococcusspecies and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Evaluation of the predominance of S. aureusis important to the determination of the severity of skin lesions and, if needed, appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

We examined the characteristics of Peptostreptococcusspecies in infectious skin diseases. P. magnuswas the species identified most frequently, followed by P. asaccharolyticus. Peptostreptococcusspecies were mainly isolated from infected atheroma and secondary infections due to ulcers; their resistance to five antimicrobial agents was generally low. The resistance of the three predominant Peptostreptococcusspecies to the antimicrobials was similar to that of all of the Peptostreptococcusspecies. The predominant Peptostreptococcusspecies isolated from infected atheroma might be pathogenic. It was considered that the presence of anaerobes as well as aerobes was important to induce the infectious condition.

We examined the in vitrosensitivities of three bacteria: Propionibacterium acnes, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, commonly detected in acne lesions, and Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of skin infections, to 10 Kampo formulations (Chinese herbal medicines; combinations of powdered extracts of crude drugs). Both Staphylococcusspecies showed similar sensitivities to all 10 formulations, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 25 to 400 mg/ml. P. acnes, however, was particularly sensitive to one formulation, keigai-rengyo-to (MIC, 0.78 – 25 mg/ml), prompting speculation that it might contain components with strong antibacterial activity to P. acnes. P. acnesshowed similar sensitivities to all the other formulations (MIC 6.25 – 200 mg/ml). The ranges of MICs and the MIC50s (concentrations that inhibit 50% of isolates) were very similar to those previously recorded in 1990 for the two Staphylococcusspecies.

The Staphylococcusspecies present in microbiological samples from the facial skin of 10 infants with atopic dermatitis and eight healthy infants were studied. S. aureuscolonization was detected on the cheek and nose skin of most of the infants with atopic dermatitis (9/10 and 7/10, respectively). Among the coagulase-negative staphylococci found, S. epidennidiswas detected commonly on the skin of healthy infants; several other species of coagulase-negative staphylococci were found on the skin of infants with atopic dermatitis and of healthy infants.