Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Hygiene logoLink to The Journal of Hygiene
. 1983 Jun;90(3):461–473. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400029107

Comparison of different methods for bacteriocin typing of Klebsiella strains.

A M Simoons-Smit, A M Verweij-van Vught, I Y Kanis, D M Maclaren
PMCID: PMC2134274  PMID: 6345661

Abstract

Epidemiological analysis of Klebsiella strains from nosocomial infections needs a simple, stable and reproducible technique of typing. We have evaluated three bacteriocin typing methods for Klebsiella spp. by means of 15 bacteriocin-producing strains, with special reference to stability and reproducibility. With the three methods indicator strains and clinical strains were retyped on different days under constant test procedures. Stability of bacteriocins was tested by titration immediately after preparation and after 4 weeks of storage at -70 degrees C. Thereafter, reproducibility of typing was tested by means of these freshly prepared bacteriocin lysates and of portions of the same lysates stored at -70 degrees C. A moderate reproducibility was obtained with one method after two typing experiments: 79.2% and 61.3% for indicator strains and clinical strains respectively. The other two methods gave a much lower reproducibility of 38.5% and 32.5% for indicator strains and of 11.1% and 25.5% for clinical strains after two experiments. The reproducibility decreased after retyping three, four or five times. These methods are simple to perform but their usefulness for epidemiological studies is doubtful. Possible causes of the lack of reproducibility of the methods are discussed.

Full text

PDF
461

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ABBOTT J. D., SHANNON R. A method for typing Shigella sonnei, using colicine production as a marker. J Clin Pathol. 1958 Jan;11(1):71–77. doi: 10.1136/jcp.11.1.71. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bauernfeind A., Petermüller C., Schneider R. Bacteriocins as tools in analysis of nosocomial Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. J Clin Microbiol. 1981 Jul;14(1):15–19. doi: 10.1128/jcm.14.1.15-19.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Buffenmyer C. L., Rycheck R. R., Yee R. B. Bacteriocin (klebocin) sensitivity typing of klebsiella. J Clin Microbiol. 1976 Sep;4(3):239–244. doi: 10.1128/jcm.4.3.239-244.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Casewell M. W., Dalton M. T., Webster M., Phillips I. Gentamicin-resistant Klebsiella aerogenes in a urological ward. Lancet. 1977 Aug 27;2(8035):444–446. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)90621-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Casewell M. W., Phillips I. Epidemiological patterns of Klebsiella colonization and infection in an intensive care ward. J Hyg (Lond) 1978 Apr;80(2):295–300. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400053651. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Casewell M. W. Titres and cross reactions of commercial antisera for the capsular typing of Klebsiella species. J Clin Pathol. 1975 Jan;28(1):33–36. doi: 10.1136/jcp.28.1.33. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cooke E. M., Brayson J. C., Edmondson A. S., Hall D. An investigation into the incidence and sources of klebsiella infections in hospital patients. J Hyg (Lond) 1979 Jun;82(3):473–480. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400053997. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Curie K., Speller D. C., Simpson R. A., Stephens M., Cooke D. I. A hospital epidemic caused by gentamicin-resistant Klebsiella aerogenes. J Hyg (Lond) 1978 Feb;80(1):115–123. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400053432. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Edmondson A. S., Cooke E. M. The development and assessment of a bacteriocin typing method for Klebsiella. J Hyg (Lond) 1979 Apr;82(2):207–223. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400025626. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Farmer J. J., 3rd Epidemiological differentiation of Serratia marcescens: typing by bacteriocin sensitivity. Appl Microbiol. 1972 Feb;23(2):226–231. doi: 10.1128/am.23.2.226-231.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hable K. A., Matsen J. M., Wheeler D. J., Hunt C. E., Quie P. G. Klebsiella type 33 septicemia in an infant intensive care unit. J Pediatr. 1972 Jun;80(6):920–924. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(72)80002-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hall F. A. Bacteriocine typing of Klebsiella spp. J Clin Pathol. 1971 Nov;24(8):712–716. doi: 10.1136/jcp.24.8.712. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Heddell G. W., Mitchell A. A. Evaluation and application of an improved bacteriocin typing method for Klebsiella aerogenes. J Clin Pathol. 1978 Jan;31(1):16–21. doi: 10.1136/jcp.31.1.16. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hill H. R., Hunt C. E., Matsen J. M. Nosocomial colonization with Klebsiella, type 26, in a neonatal intensive-care unit associated with an outbreak of sepsis, meningitis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. J Pediatr. 1974 Sep;85(3):415–419. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(74)80133-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Israil A. M. Studies concerning the sensitivity of Klebsiella strains to a set of Klebsiella bacteriocins. Zentralbl Bakteriol A. 1980;248(1):91–98. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Israil A. M. Studies on bacteriocin production and sensitivity of Klebiella strains using the Abbott-Shannon sets of standard strains. Zentralbl Bakteriol A. 1980;248(1):81–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Martin W. J., Yu P. K., Washington J. A., 2nd Epidemiologic significance of Klebsiella pneumoniae. A 3-month study. Mayo Clin Proc. 1971 Dec;46(12):785–793. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Price D. J., Sleigh J. D. Control of infection due to Klebsiella aerogenes in a neurosurgical unit by withdrawal of all antibiotics. Lancet. 1970 Dec 12;2(7685):1213–1215. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)92179-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Rennie R. P., Duncan I. B. Combined biochemical and serological typing of clinical isolates of Klebsiella. Appl Microbiol. 1974 Oct;28(4):534–539. doi: 10.1128/am.28.4.534-539.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Riser E., Noone P., Bonnet M. L. A new serotyping method for Klebsiella species: evaluation of the technique. J Clin Pathol. 1976 Apr;29(4):305–308. doi: 10.1136/jcp.29.4.305. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Slopek S., Maresz-Babczyszyn J. A working scheme for typing Klebsiella bacilli by means of pneumocins. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 1967;15(4):525–529. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Slopek S., Przondo-Hessek A., Milch H., Deák S. A working scheme for bacteriophage typing of Klebsiella bacilli. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 1967;15(4):589–599. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Hygiene are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES