Epidemiologic characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis

Objective To determine persistence and variability of colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients over long time periods, and to look for possible cross-colonization. Methods In total, 469 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were obtained from 30 patients during the period from April 1994 to April 1996. The sources were mainly sputum and a few deep throat swabs. All grown strains dissimilar in macromorphology were processed separately. Typing with PFGE was carried out by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field electrophoresis. Genomic DNA was subjected to the rare-cutting restriction enzyme Spe I. For pyocin typing, the procedure described by Fyfe was applied. Results After typing with PFGE, we observed 40 restriction profiles. Eighteen different pyocin types were found. The most frequent pyocin type was type 3, followed by types 1 and 5. Twenty-two patients were persistently colonized by one clone specific and different for each patient, and four were co-colonized by a second clone also different for each of these patients. Cross-colonization had apparently been rare in the cystic fibrosis center of Leipzig. Conclusions Typing with PFGE is well suited for detailed investigations of colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients. Pyocin typing can provide additional information for epidemiologic purposes.