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Abstract Background Some isolates of the Liverpool cystic fibrosis epidemic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibit an unusual virulence-related phenotype, characterized by over-production of quorum sensing-regulated exoproducts such as pyocyanin and LasA protease. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of this unusual phenotype amongst isolates of the epidemic strain, and to study other intraclonal phenotypic and genotypic variations. Results The unusual phenotype was detected in at least one epidemic strain isolate from the majority of cystic fibrosis patients tested, and can be retained for up to seven years during chronic infection. Multiple sequential isolates of the epidemic strain taken from six patients over a period of up to nine years exhibited a wide range of phenotypes, including different antimicrobial susceptibilities. Our data suggest that each sputum sample contains a mixture of phenotypes and genotypes within the epidemic strain population, including within colony morphotypes. Many isolates exhibit premature (during early rather than late exponential growth) and over-production of pyocyanin, which has a number of toxic effects directly relevant to cystic fibrosis. Conclusion The widespread occurrence of this unusual phenotype suggests that it may play an important role in the success of the epidemic strain.

Propionibacterium avidum was isolated from bilateral breast abscesses following breast reduction surgery. This report highlights the potential pathogenicity of the normal microbial flora following surgical interventions.

The Liverpool epidemic strain (LES) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a transmissible aggressive pathogen of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We compared transcriptome profiles of two LES isolates with each other and with a laboratory and genetic reference strain (PAO1) after growth to late exponential phase and following exposure to oxidative stress. Both LES isolates exhibited enhanced antimicrobial resistances linked to specific mutations in efflux pump genes. Although transcription of AmpC beta-lactamase was up-regulated in both, one LES isolate contained a specific mutation rendering the ampC gene untranslatable. The virulence-related quorum-sensing (QS) regulon of LES431, an isolate that caused pneumonia in the non-CF parent of a CF patient, was considerably up-regulated in comparison to either isolate LES400, associated with a chronic CF infection, or strain PAO1. Premature activation of QS genes was detected in isolates from both non-CF parents and the CF patient in a previously reported infection episode. LES isolates lacking the up-regulated QS phenotype contained different frameshift mutations in lasR. When fed to Drosophila melanogaster, isolate LES431 killed the fruit flies more readily than either isolate LES400 or strain PAO1, indicating that virulence varies intraclonally. The LES may represent a clone with enhanced virulence and antimicrobial resistance characteristics that can vary or are lost due to mutations during long-term colonization but have contributed to the successful spread of the lineage throughout the CF population of the United Kingdom.

Lemierre's syndrome is characterised by a history of recent oropharyngeal infection, clinical or radiological evidence of internal jugular vein thrombophlebitis and isolation of an anaerobic pathogen. We present a case report and review the literature.

Members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex are Gram-negative beta-proteobacteria that are classified into nine genomic species or genomovars. Some representatives of this group of bacteria, such as Burkholderia multivorans (genomovar II) and Burkholderia cenocepacia (genomovar III), are considered to be dangerous pathogens for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients because of their capacity to colonize CF lungs. The opcL gene, which encodes the peptidoglycan-associated outer-membrane lipoprotein (PAL), was detected in the genome of Burkholderia sp. LB 400 by a similarity search that was based on the sequence of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAL, OprL. Primers that could amplify part of opcL from B. multivorans LMG 13010(T) were designed. This PCR fragment was used as a probe for screening of a B. multivorans genomic bank, allowing cloning of the complete opcL gene. The complete opcL gene could be PCR-amplified from DNA from all genomovars. The sequences of these opcL genes showed a high degree of conservation (> 95 %) among different species of the B. cepacia complex. OpcL protein that was purified from B. multivorans LMG 13010(T) was used to generate mouse polyclonal antisera against OpcL. The OpcL protein could be produced in Escherichia coli and detected in outer-membrane fractions by Western blot. Burkholderia cells were labelled by immunofluorescence staining using antibodies against OpcL, but only after treatment with EDTA and SDS. The opcL gene could be amplified directly from the sputa of 15 CF patients who were known to be colonized by B. cepacia; sequence data derived from the amplicons identified the colonizing strains as B. cenocepacia (genomovar III, n = 14) and B. multivorans (n = 1).

Background: The Liverpool epidemic strain (LES) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is widespread among patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in specialist centers around Liverpool and elsewhere in the UK. This study evaluates a new diagnostic PCR assay based on a unique DNA sequence (PS21) of LES, for its identification of colonies directly from sputum., Methods: One hundred and fifty-eight sputum samples from 92 patients were cultured and P. aeruginosa isolates were typed by PS21 PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Subsequently, PS21 PCR was performed directly on sputum and the results were compared with culture, PFGE, and PS21 PCR typing., Results: Eighty patients were colonized with P. aeruginosa, 63 by LES (79%). There was 100% concordance between PS21 PCR on colonies and PFGE typing. The sensitivity and specificity of PS21 PCR directly on sputum was 98.2% and 93.6%, respectively., Conclusions: This study shows that PS21 PCR can be used for simple and rapid screening of LES colonization in CF patients.

A multiresistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is widespread among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients attending clinics in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Suppression subtractive hybridization was used to identify sequences present in the Liverpool CF epidemic strain but absent from strain PAO1. Using dot blot and PCR amplification assays, the prevalence of such sequences among a panel of CF isolates was determined. Several sequences were found only in the Liverpool epidemic strain. Some sequences were present in the Liverpool epidemic strain and in a minority of other isolates, including sequences with homology to genes implicated in O6 serotype and siderophore production. The Liverpool epidemic strain and 81% of nonepidemic isolates contained a sequence identified as part of the PAGI-1 genomic island. Other strains implicated in epidemic spread, which were from Manchester, United Kingdom, and Melbourne, Australia, were also screened. None of the sequences identified was present in the Manchester strain. However, one of two Melbourne strains contained some of the sequences found in the Liverpool epidemic strain. All isolates implicated in epidemic spread and 76% of sporadic isolates contained the exoS gene. A sequence present in all isolates of the Liverpool epidemic strain was used to develop a diagnostic PCR test for identification of the strain from colonies or directly from sputum samples.