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Propionibacterium/Cutibacterium species–related positive samples, identification, clinical and resistance features: a 10-year survey in a French hospital

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Abstract

A 10-year retrospective study of Propionibacterium/Cutibacterium-positive samples gathered from hospitalized patients was conducted at Nantes University hospital. A total of 2728 Propionibacterium/Cutibacterium-positive samples analyzed between 2007 and 2016 were included. Due to the implementation of MALDI-TOF identification in 2013, most non-Cutibacterium acnes isolates were identified a second time using this technology. Over that period, Cutibacterium acnes remained the most predominant species accounting for 91.5% (2497/2728) of the isolates, followed by Cutibacterium avidum (4.2%, 115/2728) and Cutibacterium granulosum (2.4%, 64/2728). Regarding the origin of samples, the orthopaedic department was the main Cutibacterium sample provider representing 51.9% (1415/2728) of all samples followed by the dermatology department (11.5%, 315/2728). Samples were recovered from various tissue locations: 31.5% (858/2728) from surgery-related samples such as shoulder, spine or hip replacement devices and 19.1% (520/2728) from skin samples. MALDI-TOF method revealed misidentification before 2013. Cutibacterium avidum was falsely identified as C. granulosum (n = 33). Consequently, MALDI-TOF technology using up-to-date databases should be preferred to biochemical identification in order to avoid biased species identification. Regarding antibiotic resistance, 14.7% (20/136) of C. acnes was resistant to erythromycin. 4.1% (41/1005) of C. acnes strains, 17.9% (12/67) of C. avidum strains and 3.6% (1/28) of C. granulosum strains were found resistant to clindamycin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Bactériologie-Hygiène hospitalière, CHU de Nantes, Institut de Biologie, 9, quai Moncousu 44093, Cedex 1, Nantes, France

    M. Broly, L. Ruffier d’Epenoux, A Guillouzouic, G. Le Gargasson, M-E Juvin, A.G. Leroy, P. Bémer & S. Corvec

  2. Nantes study group member of CRIOGO (Centre de Référence des Infections Ostéo-articulaires du Grand Ouest), Nantes, France

    A.G. Leroy, P. Bémer & S. Corvec

  3. CRCINA, INSERM, Université d’Angers, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France

    S. Corvec

  4. ESGIAI (ESCMID Study Group for Implant-Associated Infections), Basel, Switzerland

    S. Corvec

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  1. M. Broly
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Broly, M., Ruffier d’Epenoux, L., Guillouzouic, A. et al. Propionibacterium/Cutibacterium species–related positive samples, identification, clinical and resistance features: a 10-year survey in a French hospital. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 39, 1357–1364 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-020-03852-5

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