Gas Gangrene of Different Origin Associated with Clostridium perfringens Type A in Three Patients Simultaneously Hospitalized in a Single Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology in Poland

• Published in: Polish journal of microbiology Vol. 65; no. 4; pp. 399 - 406
• Main Authors: Brzychczy-Włoch, Monika, Ochońska, Dorota, Piotrowska, Anna, Bulanda, Małgorzata
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poland Exeley Inc 01-12-2016; De Gruyter Poland; Sciendo
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Bacterial infections; Biopsy; Clostridium perfringens; Clostridium perfringens - genetics; Clostridium perfringens - isolation & purification; Comparative analysis; CPA gene; Debridement; Development and progression; Diabetes; Disease prevention; Electrophoresis; epidemiological investigation; Epidemiology; Fatal Outcome; Female; Gangrene; Gas gangrene; Gas Gangrene - epidemiology; Gas Gangrene - microbiology; Gas Gangrene - pathology; Gel electrophoresis; Genetic analysis; Genotype; Genotyping; Hospital Units - organization & administration; Hospitalization; Humans; Hypertension; Infection Control - organization & administration; Male; Medical research; Middle Aged; molecular study; Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome; Orthopedics; Patients; Poland - epidemiology; Toxins; Type 2 diabetes; α-Toxin; Poland
• ISSN: 1733-1331; 2544-4646; 2544-4646
• DOI: 10.5604/17331331.1227665

The objective of the study was to perform a comparative analysis of phenotypic and genetic similarity, determination of resistance profiles, detection of toxin-encoding genes and molecular typing of Clostridium perfringens isolates originating from patients with gas gangrene. The study encompassed three patients with a clinical and microbiological diagnosis of gas gangrene who were hospitalized in one of the hospitals of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie province in the same period of time between 8
April 2015 and 20
April 2015. The three C. perfringens isolates studied had identical biochemical profiles. Two isolates had identical resistance patterns, while the third presented a different profile. Using the multiplex PCR method, all isolates showed the presence of cpa gene encoding α-toxin; furthermore, the presence of the cpb2 gene encoding β2-toxin was confirmed in two isolates. Genotyping with the use of pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) indicated that the isolates originating from the three studied patients represent three genetically different restrictive patterns which corresponded to three different clones - clone A, clone B and clone C. As a result of the study, it is possible to conclude that the studied patients simultaneously hospitalized in a single Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology developed three different endogenous infections.