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Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1990 Apr;28(4):676–679. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.4.676-679.1990

Phenotypic variation of Staphylococcus epidermidis in infection of transvenous endocardial pacemaker electrodes.

L M Baddour 1, L P Barker 1, G D Christensen 1, J T Parisi 1, W A Simpson 1
PMCID: PMC267775  PMID: 2332465

Abstract

Coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from a patient with a pacemaker electrode infection were extensively evaluated by phenotypic and genotypic characterization. Findings from this evaluation were striking because different colony morphologic subtypes were recovered from blood and resected pacemaker electrodes. Staphylococci from each colony subtype (LBL, LBV, LBP, LBS) were identified as slime-producing strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis sensu stricto. Direct plating of isolates from a restricted electrode revealed a mixture of colony phenotypes when examined on a high-salt, low-glucose medium, Memphis agar. Bacteriophage typing employing 17 different phages and plasmid profile analysis were largely unsuccessful in further characterizing bacterial cells of each of the four colony morphotypes. On the other hand, restriction endonuclease analysis by EcoRI digestion of the chromosomal DNA demonstrated the probable common clonal origin of the four colony phenotypes.

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Selected References

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