Rapid molecular diagnosis of lactobacillus bacteremia by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the 16S rRNA gene.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Bacteremia due to lactobacilli is uncommon, yet it is increasing in frequency, especially among immunosuppressed patients. In the clinical laboratory, lactobacilli must be subcultured from positive blood cultures before identification by traditional biochemical methods. Delays in diagnosis are significant because the organisms are inherently resistant to vancomycin, a drug frequently prescribed for empiric therapy for gram-positive bacteremia. Recently, we developed a rapid terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) diagnostic assay based on species-specific variations in the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. We sought to apply this technique to the identification of Lactobacillus spp. from three cases of bacteremia.

Design

The results of the T-RFLP analysis

SUBMITTER: Christensen JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1069069 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature