TABLE 1.

Cytotoxic assay^a

Species	Total no.	No. of isolates (% of total no.) showing:
		Cell lysis	Cell rounding
S. aureus	8	6 (75)	0 (0)
S. chromogenes	26	0 (0)	24 (92.3)
S. hyicus	7	0 (0)	1 (14.3)
Other CoNS sp.	16	3 (18.8)	1 (6.3)

^aBacteria were grown in B-broth overnight; supernatants were then diluted 1:2.5 and 1:5 in MEM and loaded onto HEp-2 cell monolayers. After 20 h of incubation at 37°C in 95% air and 5% CO₂, the cells were examined microscopically for morphological changes. Cell lysis was indicated by HEp-2 cell destruction. Cell rounding indicated HEp-2 cells detached from the plastic cultural surface and floating in the cell culture medium.