AN OUTBREAK OF COLONIZATION OR INFECTION BY CORYNEBACTERIUM-JEIKEIUM REANALYZED BY PYROLYSIS MASS-SPECTROMETRY

A pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (Py-MS) analysis of isolates of Coryneba cterium jeikeium broadly confirmed the course of an outbreak previousl y defined by analysis of plasmid structure. Plasmidless isolates could not be assessed by the initial plasmid profiling and had had to be di sregarded. PY-MS analysis demonstrated that these were part of the out break. The clustering of isolates achieved by Py-MS accorded with the progression of two plasmids through a set of isolates of C. jeikelum w hich were otherwise closely related to each other. However, the loose structure of the Py-MS clusters may reflect genetic drift in C. jeikei um, which has been proposed in other studies. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scienc e B.V.