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SPHINGOMYELINASE ACTIVITY OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS STRAINS FROM RECURRENT FURUNCULOSIS AND OTHER INFECTIONS
Author(s) -
HEDSTRÖM S. Å.,
MALMQVIST T.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica series b: microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0108-0180
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1982.tb00108.x
Subject(s) - staphylococcus aureus , hemolysin , microbiology and biotechnology , sphingomyelin , enzyme , staphylococcus , biology , sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase , phage typing , lysis , bacteria , immunology , virulence , serotype , gene , biochemistry , genetics , membrane
The sphingomyelinase (beta‐hemolysin) production by 180 Staphylococcus aureus strains was determined in a qualitative enzyme impression test (EIT) and all but 4 strains in a quantitative enzyme assay test (EAT) using 14 C‐sphingomyelin as test substrates. A total of 59 strains (33%) were positive for enzyme production in the EIT. The highest frequency was found in strains isolated from recurrent furunculosis (45%) as compared with strains from chronic osteomyelitis, tropical pyomyositis and healthy nasal carriers (18, 8 and 19%, respectively). High producers of sphingomyelinase in EAT were mostly found among furunculosis strains, phage type 55 and/or 71. The furunculosis strains lysed by phages 3A and/or 3C mostly had a low sphingomyelinase production. In 3 families, high‐ and low‐producing strains of the same phage group were isolated from 2 different members of the same family. The high‐producing strains caused more intense skin lesions.