SUMNIMARYThe predominance of coagulase-negative staphylococci as normal skin flora is thought to be a factor in their association with episodes of peritoinitis in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. We investigated the prevalence of peritonitis-associated strains on the skin of 28 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most frequently isolated organisms, comprising 47 % of peritoneal dialysis fluid isolates and( 59 % of body site isolates. A total of 142 coagulase-negative staphylococci were speciated, tested for their antimicrobial sensitivity and slime production, an(d identified by phage typing and plasmid-profile analysis. Staphylococctis epidernlidis was the most commonly identified species from both peritoneal dialysis fluid (73 %) and body sites (53 %). Multiple antibiotic resistance was common, and the greater proportion of isolates were resistant to methicillin; 63 6 % of peritoneal dialysis fluid isolates and 61-7 % of body-site isolates. S. haermolyticuus isolates were significantly more resistant to methicillin than other species. By phage typinig all( plasmid-profile analysis it was shown that peritonitis was rarely caused by skinl colonizing strains. In only 3 of 14 patients were peritonitis-associated strains isolated as skin colonizers, and no patients developed peritonitis due to organisms previously isolated as skin colonizers.

SUMMARYThis investigation was to determine whether monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) could be used to differentiate coagulase-negative staphylococci (C-NS) at species and strain level. Mabs were produced to four Staphylococcus epidermidis strains, two S. haemolyticus strains, one S. saprophyticus strain and one S. warneri strain. A panel of nine antibodies was tested for species and strain specificity against five type strains and 65 clinical isolates of C-NS by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Species specificity was found with Mab D150 produced to one S. haemolyticus strain. Using Mab D150 and Mab D198 in conjunction, identification of 90% of S. haemolyticus isolates to species level was achieved. S. saprophyticus Mab K84 reacted with most other strains of C-NS tested but only three S. haemolyticus strains (16%). This finding provides further evidence that S. haemolyticus possesses different surface determinants to other C-NS which could form the basis of a typing scheme for S. haemolyticus using Mabs D150, D198 and K84.

No abstract

No abstract