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Shin, Hong, and Son: A Case of Catheter-Related Bacteremia by Arthrobacter woluwensis
Original Article

Korean J Leg Med 2006;26(2):103-106.

Published online: 10 February 2006

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3343/kjlm.2006.26.2.103

A Case of Catheter-Related Bacteremia by Arthrobacter woluwensis

Kyeong Seob Shin, M.D.1, Seung Bok Hong, Ph.D.2, Bo Ra Son, M.D.1

1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea

2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Pundang Jesaeng General Hospital, Seongnam, Korea

Received 18 November 2005       Revised 8 March 2006       Accepted 13 March 2006

Copyright © 2006 The Korean Society for Legal Medicine

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Arthrobacter woluwensis, a catalase-positive coryneform bacterium recognized as an opportunistic pathogen, was repeatedly isolated from the blood of a 56-year-old male patient with metastatic colon cancer. The isolate was identified by various phenotypic tests and by sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by E-test; the MICs to vancomcyin, cefotamine, and penicillin were 1.5 μg/mL, >64 μg/mL, and 4 μg/mL, respectively. The patient was treated with vancomycin, and the subclavian catheter, which was presumed to be the source of the infection, was removed. Thereafter, repeated blood cultures did not grow the organism. The infections of human caused by A. woluwensis have not been reported previously in Korea, probably because of the difficulty of identifying Arthrobacter strains by conventional biochemical tests.

Keywords: Arthrobacter woluwensis, Bacteremia, 16S rRNA sequencing

References

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Fig. 1.
Microscopic findings of Arthrobacter woluwensis isolated from the blood culture showing irregularly shaped Gram-positive rods (Gram stain, ×1,000).
kjlm-26-103f1.tif
Table 1.
Biochemical characteristics of Arthrobacter woluwensis isolated from the patient
Test* A woluwensis† Isolate
Catalase + +
Motility − −
Growth at 20° growth growth
42° growth growth
esculin + +
gelatin hydrolysis + +
citrate + +
Nitrate reduction − −
Urease‡ + +
β-galactosidase§ + +
α-glucosidase§ + +
N-acetyl β-glucosaminidase§ + +
DNase + NT
Desferrioxamine R NT
Alkaline phosphatase + +
β-glucosidase§ + +

* All tests were the results from API Coryne except catalase, motility and growth at 20°C and 42°C;

† A woluwensis DSM 10495[5];

‡ results after 72 hr incubation;

§ results after 48 hr incubation.

Abbreviation: NT, not tested.

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