Rapid Identification of Cell Wall Components As A Guide to The Classification of Aerobic Coryneform Bacteria from Human Skin

Pitcher, D.G.

doi:10.1099/00222615-10-4-439

Cited by 39 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Others produced similar schemes. However, the recognition that these schemes were less than wholly successful led Pitcher (1977) to perform cell wall analyses of cutaneous coryneforms. He found that the classical Corynebacterium spp.…”

Section: The Resident Skin Floramentioning

confidence: 99%

Skin microbiology: coming of age

Noble

1984

Journal of Medical Microbiology

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In 1965, Mary J. Marples' seminal book The Ecology of' Human Skin was published, as also was Maibach and Hildick-Smith's Skin Microbiology: Its Relation to Clinical Infection. Skin microbiology as a subject with its own intrinsic interest and also one that contributes to other disciplines may, therefore, be said to be fast approaching maturity. It is interesting to examine the changes that have occurred in this time, but it is essential to understand that, in the early years, appreciation of the intrinsic interest of skin microbiology was limited; skin was simply another surface that needed disinfection before surgery. It is convenient to discuss the evolution of the subject in three principal parts: (i) a more precise definition of the skin microflora, (ii) interactions between members of that flora (coactions), and (iii) interaction between the flora and the host. Finally, some lacunae in our present knowledge will be explored. The resident skin floraBefore the work of Marples (1965) it was thought possible to dismiss the normal skin flora as comprising micrococci and diphtheroids with a few yeasts. Now we expect a normal healthy adult to carry several representatives of the genera Stapliylococcus, Micrococcus, Propionibactcrium, Corynebacterium, Brevibacteriuni and Acinetohacter as well as Pityrosporum as resident members of the normal skin flora. There will also be a variable number of transients or contaminants.The cocci. The greatest changes in our knowledge of taxonomy and ecology have occurred amongst the gram-positive cocci. At the time of Baird-Parker's initial attempts to define the cocci (Baird-Parker, 1965), the genera Staphq~lococcus and Micrococcus (Sarcina) were regarded as closely related; taxonomically, they must now be regarded as very distinct. Baird-Parker's (1965) schemes have now largely been superseded but they were instrumental in opening the way to a rational study of the cocci. There is still no full agreement on the classification of the cocci but the major historical trends are shown in table I. The major error in laboratory studies with the cocci, as later with the coryneforms, was overconfidence in simple 'biochemical' tests, so that Micrococcus spp. were classified amongst the staphylococci.

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Section: The Resident Skin Floramentioning

confidence: 99%

Skin microbiology: coming of age

Noble

1984

Journal of Medical Microbiology

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“…British microbiologists who have studied the flora of human skin have deplored the inadequacies of the existing coryneform taxonomy (57,132,157,162,197). Even when skin isolates do belong in the genus Corynebacterium, they usually are not members of any recognized species (91).…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…8:32-34, 1986). By cell wall analysis of 1,005 aerobic coryneform isolates obtained from the skin of hospitalized patients and normal volunteers, Pitcher found that only 59% were characteristic of the genus Corynebacterium and 20% were characteristic of the genus Brevibacterium (162). The remaining isolates could not be assigned to a genus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coryneform bacteria in infectious diseases: clinical and laboratory aspects

1990

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Coryneform isolates from clinical specimens frequently cannot be identified by either reference laboratories or research laboratories. Many of these organisms are skin flora that belong to a large number of taxonomic groups, only 40% of which are in the genus Corynebacterium. This review provides an update on clinical presentations, microbiological features, and pathogenic mechanisms of infections with nondiphtheria Corynebacterium species and other pleomorphic gram-positive rods. The early literature is also reviewed for a few coryneforms, especially those whose roles as pathogens are controversial. Recognition of newly emerging opportunistic coryneforms is dependent on sound identification schemes which cannot be developed until cell wall analyses and nucleic acid studies have defined the taxonomic groups and all of the reference strains within each taxon have been shown by molecular methods to be authentic members. Only then can reliable batteries of biochemical tests be selected for distinguishing each taxon.

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“…Aly & Maibach (1977) found 78% of the axillary flora to be non-lipophilic coryneforms and 18% lipophilic coryneforms. Pitcher (1976Pitcher ( , 1977 found axillary coryneforms to be composed of Corynebacterium spp. 69%, Brevibacterium spp.…”

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confidence: 99%

Normal axillary skin in various populations

Jackman

Noble

1983

Clin Exp Dermatol

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The axillary microflora of 163 male and 122 female subjects was examined. Subjects were found to have either a coryneform or coccal dominated flora. Three hundred and sixty coryneform isolates were identified to generic level by cell-wall type. Axillary coryneforms were found to comprise 83% Corynebacterium, 5% Brevibacterium and 12% other coryneforms. There was a significant correlation between coryneform-dominated fioras and the occurrence of erythrasma, trichomycosis axillaris and pronounced axillary odour.

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Rapid Identification of Cell Wall Components As A Guide to The Classification of Aerobic Coryneform Bacteria from Human Skin

Cited by 39 publications

References 16 publications

Skin microbiology: coming of age

Skin microbiology: coming of age

Coryneform bacteria in infectious diseases: clinical and laboratory aspects

Normal axillary skin in various populations

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