%0 Journal Article
%T Sphingobacterium respiratory tract infection in patients with cystic fibrosis
%A Antonietta Lambiase
%A Fabio Rossano
%A Mariassunta Del Pezzo
%A Valeria Raia
%A Angela Sepe
%A Fabiola de Gregorio
%A Maria Catania
%J BMC Research Notes
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-0500-2-262
%X Between January 2006 and June 2008, patients (n = 332) attending the Regional CF Unit in Naples, Italy, were enrolled.Sputum samples were processed for microscopic, cultural, phenotypic identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing. DNA fingerprinting was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 21 strains of Sphingobacterium were isolated from 7 patients (13 of S. spiritovorum, 8 of S. multivorum). S. multivorum isolates were more resistant than those of S. spiritovorum. PFGE profiles were in general heterogeneous, which suggested independent circulation.This is the first Italian report about respiratory tract infections by Sphingobacterium in CF patients. In our cohort, these infections were not associated with a deterioration of pulmonary function during the follow-up period. Although the exact role of this microorganism in CF lung disease is unknown and the number of infected patients was small, this study could represent an important starting-point for understanding the epidemiology and the possible pathogenic role of Sphingobacterium in CF patients.In Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients, bronchiectasis and obstructive pulmonary disease are the primary causes of morbidity and mortality [1]. As pulmonary disease therapy and nutritional care have improved life expectancy, new emerging pulmonary pathogens, such as bacteria of the Burkholderia cepacia complex, Alcaligenes xylosoxidans, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and nontuberculous mycobacteria have been detected in CF patients [2-8].Bacteria that belong to the genus Sphingobacterium are Gram-negative, non-fermentative microorganisms that are positive for catalase and oxidase tests. They are ubiquitous in nature, but are rarely involved in human infections. An important feature of bacteria that belong to this genus is the presence of high concentrations of sphingophospholipids in the cellular lipid components, from which the name Sphingobacterium is derived. The genus Sphingobacterium cons
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1756-0500/2/262