VapB-positive Rhodococcus equi infection in an HIV-infected patient in Japan

Mizuno, Yasutaka; Sato, Fumiya; Sakamoto, Mitsuo; Yoshikawa, Koji; Yoshida, Masaki; Shiba, Koya; Onodera, Satoshi; Matsuura, Ryo; Takaı̈, Shinji

doi:10.1007/s10156-004-0355-x

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…R. equi pulmonary and bacteremic infections occur primarily in immunocompromised patients, particularly in patients with AIDS and organ transplant recipients [1][2][3][4][5]. In the veterinary field, this organism is typically isolated from young foals with suppurative bronchopneumonia or mesenteric lymphadenitis, but it is increasingly being identified as the causative agent of pulmonary and extrapulmonary infections in other animal species [6][7][8][9][10][11][12].…”

Section: Molecular Typing Of the Actinomycete Rhodococcus Equi Is Insmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Epidemiology of Rhodococcus equi Based on traA, vapA, and vapB Virulence Plasmid Markers

Ocampo-Sosa

Lewis

Navas

et al. 2007

The Journal of Infectious Diseases

117

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Molecular typing of the actinomycete Rhodococcus equi is insufficiently developed, and little is known about the epidemiology and transmission of this multihost pathogen. We report a simple, reliable polymerase chain reaction typing system for R. equi based on 3 plasmid gene markers: traA from the conserved conjugal transfer machinery and vapA and vapB, found in 2 different plasmid subpopulations. This "TRAVAP" typing scheme classifies R. equi into 4 categories: traA(+)/vapA(+)B(-), traA(+)/vapA(-)B(+), traA(+)/vapAB(-), and traA(-)/vapAB(-) (plasmidless). A TRAVAP survey of 215 R. equi strains confirmed the strong link between vapA (traA(+)/vapA(+)B(-) plasmids) and horse isolates and revealed other host-related plasmid associations: between traA(+)/vapA(-)B(+) and pigs and between traA(+)/vapAB(-)--a new type of R. equi plasmid--and cattle. Plasmidless strains were more frequent among isolates from nonpathological specimens. All plasmid categories were common in human isolates, which possibly reflects the predominantly opportunistic nature of R. equi infection in this host and a zoonotic origin.

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Section: Molecular Typing Of the Actinomycete Rhodococcus Equi Is Insmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Epidemiology of Rhodococcus equi Based on traA, vapA, and vapB Virulence Plasmid Markers

Ocampo-Sosa

Lewis

Navas

et al. 2007

The Journal of Infectious Diseases

117

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“…At this time, 27 different plasmids have been identified in VapB-positive R. equi [6]. Intermediately virulent (VapB-positive) R. equi has been reported to cause fatal cavitary pneumonia because of secondary infections in immunocompromised hosts, such as AIDS patients [7, 8]. Avirulent R. equi is widespread in the soil environment and is isolated predominantly from immunocompromised patients without AIDS [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasmid Profiles and Prevalence of Intermediately VirulentRhodococcus equifrom Pigs in Nakhonpathom Province, Thailand: Identification of a New Variant of the 70-kb Virulence Plasmid, Type 18

Poolkhet

Chumsing

Wajjwalku

et al. 2010

Veterinary Medicine International

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The prevalence of intermediately virulent Rhodococcus equi isolates from pig submaxillary lymph nodes from four slaughterhouses in Nakhonpathom province, Thailand, was investigated. The isolates were tested for the presence of virulence plasmids and the 20-kDa virulence-associated protein antigen (VapB) gene by PCR. Of the 734 submaxillary lymph nodes tested, 19 (2.6%) produced positive cultures of R. equi. All 19 isolates were positive for the VapB gene and contained virulence plasmids that were identified as type 1 (six isolates), type 6 (two isolates), type 7 (one isolate), type 16 (two isolates), and a new variant (eight isolates). Based on the restriction digestion patterns of the plasmid DNAs, we tentatively designated the variant as type 18. Investigation of the prevalence and plasmid profiles of VapB-positive R. equi in pigs should be extended throughout Thailand to evaluate potential sources of zoonotic infections.

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“…However, some investigators recently reported haemolytic activity of R. equi strains (Smola et al., 1994; Pate et al., 2004). It has also become an emerging and opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised humans, particularly acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients (Votava et al., 1997; Mizuno et al., 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recognition of a B‐cell Epitope of the VapA Protein ofRhodococcus equiin Newborn and Experimentally Infected Foals

Phumoonna¹,

Barton²,

Heuzenroeder³

2005

Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series B

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the previously identified B-cell epitope TSLNLQKDEPNGRASDTAGQ of the VapA protein of Rhodococcus equi and its association with R. equi pneumonia. A modified peptide designated PN11-14 corresponding to the epitope was recognized by all sera from experimentally infected foals with virulent R. equi ATCC103+ containing the virulence plasmid but not by its plasmid-cured derivative ATCC103- strain. Marked levels of VapA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G were detected in all sera from the ATCC103+ infected foals at 2 weeks after the infection. One control animal had high titres as determined by the peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), indicating the ELISA may not absolutely differentiate between foals with R. equi pneumonia and healthy exposed foals in farms where the prevalence of disease is high. However, numbers of animals used were small. Further evaluation of the peptide ELISA with field samples is necessary to determine whether the assay is diagnostically useful. This study showed that levels of passive transfer of maternal IgG antibodies to the epitope in newborn foals could be measured. Interestingly, the maternally derived antibodies were found to significantly (P<0.05 by Student's t-test) decline 2 weeks after birth. Seroconversion against naturally occurring VapA expressing R. equi could be detected in some foals at 4 weeks of age. Antibodies to the epitope peaked and were significantly (P<0.05) greater in foals aged between 6 and 8 weeks. These results indicated that the peptide ELISA could be used to monitor anti-VapA antibodies in foals, particularly those at the age of 4-6 weeks. It is possible that the ELISA may be of some use as a diagnostic test on farms where R. equi is non-endemic. Further studies using large number of field samples are needed to verify this assumption.

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VapB-positive Rhodococcus equi infection in an HIV-infected patient in Japan

Cited by 14 publications

References 13 publications

Molecular Epidemiology of Rhodococcus equi Based on traA, vapA, and vapB Virulence Plasmid Markers

Molecular Epidemiology of Rhodococcus equi Based on traA, vapA, and vapB Virulence Plasmid Markers

Plasmid Profiles and Prevalence of Intermediately VirulentRhodococcus equifrom Pigs in Nakhonpathom Province, Thailand: Identification of a New Variant of the 70-kb Virulence Plasmid, Type 18

Recognition of a B‐cell Epitope of the VapA Protein ofRhodococcus equiin Newborn and Experimentally Infected Foals

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