Abstract
In order to recognize particular characteristics of pathogenic strains, epidemiologic markers of 27 Staphylococcus epidermidis strains (9 pathological and 18 commensal) were studied. Nine strains were responsible of infective endocarditis (8 on native valves, and 1 on prosthetic valve). No case occurred after admission to hospital or surgery. Eighteen commensal strains were isolated from control subjects who had had no contact with the hospital environment and who had not received a recent antibiotic treatment. The microbiological characteristics were so diverse that no differentiation between the pathogenic strains and commensal strains could be done and no particular pathogenic clone was recognized.
MeSH terms
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Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
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Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
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Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
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DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
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Drug Resistance, Microbial
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Electrophoresis, Agar Gel
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Endocarditis, Bacterial / microbiology*
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Hemolysin Proteins / biosynthesis
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Humans
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In Vitro Techniques
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Polysaccharides, Bacterial / biosynthesis
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RNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
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Restriction Mapping
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Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology*
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Staphylococcus epidermidis / drug effects
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Staphylococcus epidermidis / isolation & purification
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Staphylococcus epidermidis / metabolism
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Staphylococcus epidermidis / pathogenicity*
Substances
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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Bacterial Proteins
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DNA, Bacterial
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Hemolysin Proteins
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Polysaccharides, Bacterial
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RNA, Ribosomal