Circ J. 2008 Jun;72(6):1022-4.
First report of Bartonella quintana endocarditis in Japan.
Yoda M, Hata M, Sezai A, Unosawa S, Furukawa N, Minami K.
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Ooyaguchi-kamimachi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan. myoda@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
Bartonella (Rochalimaea) species are increasingly recognized as a cause of endocarditis, but the total number of cases remains low. Especially, Bartonella quintana endocarditis is very rare and there have been no reports in Japan. A 66-year-old man was hospitalized because of dyspnea and fever. An echocardiogram showed severe mitral valve regurgitation, mild aortic valve regurgitation, and echogenic masses on the mitral and aortic valve. Six sets of blood cultures were negative. Replacement of the mitral- and aortic-valve with a mechanical valve was performed. However, due to symptomatic para-valvular leakage a re-mitral valve replacement was later performed. Unfortunately, the patient died 1 month after the operation owing to multiple organ failure. Four weeks after the second operation, blood culture yielded a Gram-negative bacillus. DNA was extracted from the colony and subjected to polymerase chain reaction amplification. Nucleotide sequence analysis (1,500 nucleotide positions) and a BLAST search of the EMBL/GENBANK database revealed 99.9% homology with the Bartonella quintana 16S rRNA gene. This is the first report of Bartonella quintana endocarditis in Japan, and should be considered with the view of culture negative endocarditis.
Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2008;120(7-8):246-9.
Native valve endocarditis due to Bartonella henselae in an immunocompetent man.
Lejko-Zupanc T, Slemenik-Pusnik C, Kozelj M, Klokocovnik T, Avsic-Zupanc T, Dolenc-Strazar Z, Benko D, Duh D, Rojko T.
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia. lejkot@yahoo.com
Culture-negative endocarditis accounts for 2.5-31% of all endocarditis cases and remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Bartonella spp. has only recently been recognized as an important cause of culture-negative endocarditis. We report a case of Bartonella henselae endocarditis occurring in an immunocompetent man who owned a cat and had previously been diagnosed with valvulopathy. Diagnosis was made only after prolonged diagnostic work-up with serology and with PCR and subsequent sequencing to identify the microorganism in the excised valves. The duration of treatment in patients with bartonella endocarditis is not clearly defined, and we decided to treat our patient with a prolonged course of antibiotic. Surgical treatment is usually necessary and was also successful in our patient. To our knowledge, this is the first case of bartonella endocarditis occurring in our geographic area.
Acta Cardiol. 2008 Aug;63(4):519-21.
Infective endocarditis due to Bartonella quintana: a challenging diagnostic entity.
Yerebakan C, Westphal B, Aepinus C.
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical Faculty University of Rostock, Germany. can.yerebakan@med.uni-rostock.de
Bartonella quintana is a gram-negative microorganism, which may lead to infective endocarditis especially in compromised patients. The major concern about this pathogen is the diagnosis and detection. Furthermore, the treatment of the infection has been a challenge for physicians. In this report, we present a 71-year-old patient with Bartonella quintana aortic valve endocarditis from the view of diagnosis and treatment aspects.
Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2008 Aug;61(4):476-83. Epub 2008 May 1.
Culture-negative infectious endocarditis caused by Bartonella spp.: 2 case reports and a review of the literature.
Dreier J, Vollmer T, Freytag CC, Bäumer D, Körfer R, Kleesiek K.
Institut für Laboratoriums und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. jdreier@hdz-nrw.de
Bartonella spp. are rare pathogens in humans and were recently recognized as important causative agents of culture-negative endocarditis. Here, we describe the 1st 2 documented cases of culture-negative endocarditis due to Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana encountered in a single hospital in Germany. Infection of the heart valve tissue was detected by broad-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and further confirmed by serologic testing. In particular, acute B. henselae infection with an impressive bacterial colonization of the infected cardiac valve was illustrated by transmission electron microscopy. B. henselae was further characterized by PCR assays targeting genotype-specific regions. Disease progression was initially monitored over the entire infection episode through inflammatory markers. In addition, a short overview of published detailed cases of Bartonella endocarditis in Europe within the last 7 years is given.
Acta Clin Belg. 2008 May-Jun;63(3):190-2.
Bartonella endocarditis mimicking adult Still's disease.
De Clerck KF, Van Offel JF, Vlieghe E, Van Marck E, Stevens WJ.
Department of Immunology-Allergology-Rheumatology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
We describe the case of a 39-year-old Caucasian woman who was admitted to the University Hospital of Antwerp with a clinical picture suggestive of adult Still's disease. Even though a transoesophageal echocardiography showed endocarditis of the aortic valve, blood cultures remained negative. Additional serological testing revealed a positive result for Bartonella henselae. Histology of the supraclavicular lymph node showed a reactive lymph node with a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Bartonella henselae. Prednisolone treatment was started in a dosage of 10 mg per day and rifampicin 600 mg/d in combination with doxycyclin 200 mg/d was given for 6 months. During therapy the patient gradually improved and signs of endocarditis disappeared on echocardiography.
Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2008 May 15;123(1-2):167-71. Epub 2008 Jan 19.
Feline bartonellosis and cat scratch disease.
Breitschwerdt EB.
College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Dipl. ACVIM, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh,
NC 27606, United States. ed_breitschwerdt@ncsu.edu
Bartonella species are important emerging zoonotic pathogens. Transmission of these organisms in nature may be much more complex than is currently appreciated. Cats can be infected with five Bartonella species, including, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeae, Bartonella bovis, Bartonella koehlerae and Bartonella quintana. In addition to cats, numerous domestic and wild animals, including bovine, canine, human, and rodent species can serve as chronically infected reservoir hosts for various intra-erythrocytic Bartonella species. In addition, an increasing number of arthropod vectors, including biting flies, fleas, keds, lice, sandflys and potentially ticks have been implicated in the transmission of various Bartonella species to animals or human beings. In the reservoir host, Bartonella species cause chronic intra-erythrocytic and vascular endothelial infections, with a relapsing bacteremia documented in experimentally infected cats. Although the immunopathology induced by Bartonella infection requires additional study, the organisms can localize to the heart valve (endocarditis), cause granulomatous inflammation in lymph nodes, liver or spleen, induce central nervous system dysfunction with or without cerebrospinal fluid changes, and may contribute to inflammatory polyarthritis. Hematological abnormalities are infrequent, but thrombocytopenia, lymphocytosis, neutropenia, and eosinophilia have been reported in B. henselae-infected cats. Serology, PCR and culture can be used to support a diagnosis of feline bartonellosis, however, due to the high rate of sub-clinical infections among various cat populations, documenting causation in an individual cat is difficult, if not impossible. Response to treatment can be used in conjunction with serology or organism isolation to support a clinical diagnosis of feline bartonellosis. As fleas are involved in the transmission among cats, the use of acaracide products to eliminate fleas from the environment is of critical importance to decrease the risk of B. henselae transmission among cats and to humans.
Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2008 May;103(3):221-35.
Human bartonellosis: seroepidemiological and clinical features with an emphasis on data from Brazil - a review.
Lamas C, Curi A, Bóia M, Lemos E.
Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Rio de janeiro, Brazil. cristianelamas@gmail.com
Bartonellae are fastidious Gram-negative bacteria that are widespread in nature with several animal reservoirs (mainly cats, dogs, and rodents) and insect vectors (mainly fleas, sandflies, and human lice). Thirteen species or subspecies of Bartonella have been recognized as agents causing human disease, including B. bacilliformis, B. quintana, B. vinsonii berkhoffii, B. henselae, B. elizabethae, B. grahamii, B. washoensis, B. koehlerae, B. rocha-limaea, and B. tamiae. The clinical spectrum of infection includes lymphadenopathy, fever of unknown origin, endocarditis, neurological and ophthalmological syndromes, Carrion's disease, and others. This review provides updated information on clinical manifestations and seroepidemiological studies with an emphasis on data available from Brazil.
Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2006 May;24(5):297-301.
Comment in:
Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2006 May;24(5):295-6.
Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2006 Nov;24(9):597.
Endocarditis due to Bartonella spp. Three new clinical cases and Spanish literature review
Oteo JA, Castilla A, Arosey A, Blanco JR, Ibarra V, Morano LE.
Area de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Complejo Hospitalario San Millán-San Pedro de La Rioja, Hospital de La Rioja,
Logroño, España. jaoteo@riojasalud.es
INTRODUCTION: Infections by Bartonella spp. include a wide spectrum of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as culture-negative endocarditis. METHODS: Description of 3 cases of endocarditis due to Bartonella spp. and review of those previously reported in Spain. RESULTS: Including these 3 new cases of endocarditis due to Bartonella spp., a total of 6 cases have been reported in Spain. The median age of the patients was 51.6 years and 83.3% were men. There was history of contact with cats in 66.7%, and 50% were alcoholic. Only one patient had prior valvular disease. There were no clinical manifestations typical to any of the Bartonella species. The aortic valve was the one most commonly affected. In all cases, B. henselae was the agent implicated. The diagnosis was made by serology in 5 cases (83.3%). The outcome was favorable in all patients, although 4 of them (66.7%) required valve replacement. CONCLUSION: Endocarditis due to Bartonella spp. is present in Spain and is likely to be underestimated. We should suspect this pathogen in patients with negative blood cultures and a history of chronic alcoholism, homeless patients, and those who have had contact with cats or who have been bitten by fleas or lice, as well as patients with endocarditis and positive serology against Chlamydia spp.
Eur J Intern Med. 2005 Nov;16(7):518-9.
Bartonella quintana endocarditis in east Africa.
Goldstein LH, Saliba WR, Elias M, Zlotnik A, Raz R, Giladi M.
Department of Medicine C, HaEmek Medical Center, Afula, Israel. Goldstein_le@clalit.org.il
Bartonella quintana endocarditis is characterized by sub-acute evolution and severe valvular damage, and is associated with homelessness, alcoholism, and lice infestation. We present a case of B. quintana endocarditis in an Ethiopian immigrant without known risk factors for disease acquisition. This is the first case of B. quintana endocarditis reported from east Africa.
Arch Intern Med. 2003 Jan 27;163(2):226-30.
Outcome and treatment of Bartonella endocarditis.
Raoult D, Fournier PE, Vandenesch F, Mainardi JL, Eykyn SJ, Nash J, James E, Benoit-Lemercier C, Marrie TJ.
Unité des Rickettsies, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385
Marseille CEDEX 05, France. didier.raoult@medecine.univ-mrs.fr
BACKGROUND: Endocarditis caused by Bartonella species is a potentially lethal infection characterized by a subacute evolution and severe valvular lesions. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcome of patients with Bartonella endocarditis and to define the best antibiotic regimen using the following measures: recovery, relapse, or death. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 101 patients who were diagnosed in our laboratory as having Bartonella endocarditis between January 1, 1995, and April 30, 2001. Bartonella infection was diagnosed using immunofluorescence with a 1:800 cutoff, polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA, and/or culture findings of Bartonella species from whole blood, serum, and/or valvular biopsy specimens. A standardized questionnaire was completed by investigators for each patient. RESULTS: Twelve of the 101 patients died and 2 relapsed. Patients receiving an aminoglycoside were more likely to fully recover (P =.02), and those treated with aminoglycosides for at least 14 days were more likely to survive than those with shorter therapy duration (P =.02). CONCLUSION: Effective antibiotic therapy for Bartonella endocarditis should include an aminoglycoside prescribed for a minimum of 2 weeks.
Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2003 Jan;10(1):95-102.
Western immunoblotting for Bartonella endocarditis.
Houpikian P, Raoult D.
Unité des Rickettsies, CNRS-UPRES-A 6020, Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, 13385 Marseille cedex, France.
To differentiate infectious endocarditis (IE) from other Bartonella infections and to identify infecting Bartonella bacteria at the species level on a serological basis, we used Western immunoblotting to test sera from 51 patients with Bartonella IE (of which 27 had previously benefited from species identification by molecular techniques), 11 patients with chronic Bartonella quintana bacteremia, and 10 patients with cat scratch disease. Patients with IE were Western blot positive in 49 of 51 cases, and significant cross-reactivity with three heterologous Bartonella antigens was found in 45 of 49 cases. Sera from bacteremic patients did not react with more than one heterologous antigen, and sera from patients with cat scratch disease gave negative results. Sera reacted only with B. henselae in four cases of IE, including one with a positive PCR result for valve tissue. Western blot and cross-adsorption performed on serum samples from patients with IE (the identity of the causative species having been determined by PCR) were demonstrated to identify efficiently the causative species in all cases. When applied to patients diagnosed on the basis of serological tests only, this technique allowed identification of the causative species in 20 of 22 cases. The results were in accordance with epidemiological features. Six reactive bands of B. quintana (of molecular sizes from 10 to 83 kDa) demonstrated significant association with sera from patients with B. quintana endocarditis. Overall, Western blotting and cross-adsorption made it possible to identify the causative species in 49 of 51 (96%) IE cases.
Clin Infect Dis. 2002 Sep 15;35(6):684-9. Epub 2002 Aug 20.
Bartonella quintana Bacteremia among Homeless People.
Foucault C, Barrau K, Brouqui P, Raoult D.
Université de la Méditerranée, Faculté de Médecine, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de
Recherche 6020, Unité des Rickettsies, 13006 Marseille, France.
Bartonella quintana infections have recently reemerged, predominantly among the homeless populations in cities in both Europe and the United States. B. quintana can cause trench fever, endocarditis, and chronic bacteremia; the human body louse is the only known vector. Homeless people who presented to the emergency departments of University Hospital in Marseilles, France, were studied, as were those who had been admitted to other medical facilities in the city since 1 January 1997. Samples of blood and body lice were collected for culture for B. quintana and for serological testing. Bartonella bacteremia was associated with sweats, evidence of louse infestation, serological tests that were positive for B. quintana, and high titers of B. quintana antibody. Bacteremia was also associated with being homeless for <3 years. Asymptomatic, prolonged bacteremia (duration, up to 78 weeks) and intermittent bacteremia were found to occur. Data obtained regarding antibiotic regimens showed that treatment with gentamicin and doxycycline was effective in preventing relapses of bacteremia.
Ann Intern Med. 1996 Oct 15;125(8):646-52.
Erratum in:
Ann Intern Med 1997 Aug 1;127(3):249.
Diagnosis of 22 new cases of Bartonella endocarditis.Raoult D, Fournier PE, Drancourt M, Marrie TJ, Etienne J,
Cosserat J, Cacoub P, Poinsignon Y, Leclercq P, Sefton AM.
Unité des Rickettsies, CNRS EPJ0054, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France.
BACKGROUND: Bartonella species are emerging pathogens that are seldom reported as a cause of blood culture-negative endocarditis. OBJECTIVE: To report the occurrence of, risk factors for, and clinical features of Bartonella endocarditis and to evaluate the diagnostic tools available for this condition. DESIGN: Case series and comparison with past series. SETTING: Multicenter international study in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Lyon, France; and Marseille, France. PATIENTS: 22 patients from France, England, Canada, and South Africa were investigated for blood culture-negative endocarditis. MEASUREMENTS: Titer of antibodies to Bartonella species by microimmunofluorescence assay, blood or vegetation culture, and amplification of Bartonella DNA from valvular tissue by polymerase chain reaction. Cross-adsorption was done for patients with antibodies to Chlamydia species. RESULTS: 22 patients had definite endocarditis. Five were infected with B. quintana, 4 with B. henselae, and 13 with an undetermined Bartonella species. These cases were compared with the 11 previously reported cases. Of the patients with the newly reported cases, 19 had valvular surgery and 6 died. Nine were homeless, 11 were alcoholic, 4 owned cats, and 13 had preexisting valvular heart disease. Bartonella species caused 3% of the cases of endocarditis seen in the three study centers. The patients with these cases could have previously received a diagnosis of chlamydial endocarditis because of apparently high levels of cross-reacting antibodies to Chlamydia species. CONCLUSIONS: Bartonella species are an important cause of blood culture-negative endocarditis and can be identified by culture, serologic studies, or molecular biology techniques. Alcoholism and homelessness without previous valvular heart disease are risk factors for B. quintana infection but not for infection with other Bartonella species.
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