Staphylococcal pyrogenic toxins in infant urine samples: a possible marker of transient bacteraemia.

Harrison, L. M and Morris, J. A. and Lauder, R. M. and Telford, D. R. (2009) Staphylococcal pyrogenic toxins in infant urine samples: a possible marker of transient bacteraemia. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 62 (8). pp. 735-738. ISSN 1472-4146

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Abstract

AIM: To screen infant urine for staphylococcal pyrogenic toxins as a possible marker for a toxigenic, transient bacteraemia. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swabs, skin swabs, stool and urine samples were collected from 30 infants at 2 weeks, 10 weeks and 7 months of age when the infants were healthy, and from infants of 7 months of age when they had a cold. Samples were cultured and Staphylococcus aureus isolates identified. Isolates were tested for the production of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC) and toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1). Urine samples were analysed for the presence of these toxins by ELISA. RESULTS: Nasopharyngeal carriage of S aureus decreased with age from 50% at 2 weeks of age to 13% in healthy infants at 7 months of age. Carriage was increased in infants over 7 months of age with a cold (36%). Stool carriage remained constant (37-40%) in healthy infants but increased significantly in infants over 7 months of age with a cold (82%). 13.9% of the isolates produced SEB, 16.7% produced SEC and 18% produced TSST-1. Some isolates produced more than one toxin. 43% of infants were colonised at some time with a toxigenic S aureus strain. S aureus toxins were detected in 9/101 urine samples. The proportion of positive samples was increased with infection and at 10 weeks of age. CONCLUSIONS: Infants are exposed early in life to S aureus pyrogenic toxins, which can be detected in infant urine samples. Age and infection affect the proportion of positive samples. The pattern of results can be explained by episodes of transient bacteraemia.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal of Clinical Pathology
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2734
Subjects:
?? pathology and forensic mediciner medicine (general) ??
ID Code:
34802
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
08 Dec 2010 15:04
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 11:09