BACKGROUND: Invasive and disseminated Mycoplasma hominis infections are well recognized but uncommon complications in solid organ transplant recipients. In a single center, a cluster of M. hominis infections were identified in lung transplant recipients from the same thoracic intensive care unit (ICU). We sought to determine the source(s) of these infections. METHODS: Medical records of the donor and infected transplant recipients were reviewed for clinical characteristics. Clinical specimens underwent routine processing with subculture on Mycoplasma-specific Hayflick agar. Mycoplasma hominis identification was confirmed using sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Mycoplasma hominis isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing on the Illumina NextSeq platform. RESULTS: Three lung transplant recipients presented with invasive M. hominis infections at multiple sites characterized by purulent infections without organisms detected by Gram staining. Each patient had a separate donor; however, pretransplant bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was only available from the donor for patient 1, which subsequently grew M. hominis. Phylo- and pangenomic analyses indicated that the isolates from the donor and the corresponding recipient (patient 1) were closely related and formed a distinct single clade. In contrast, isolates from patients 2 and 3 were unrelated and divergent from one another. CONCLUSIONS: Mycoplasma hominis should be considered a cause of donor-derived infection. Genomic data suggest donor-to-recipient transmission of M. hominis. Additional patients co-located in the ICU were found to have genetically unrelated M. hominis isolates, excluding patient-to-patient transmission.
BACKGROUND: Invasive and disseminated Mycoplasma hominis infections are well recognized but uncommon complications in solid organ transplant recipients. In a single center, a cluster of M. hominis infections were identified in lung transplant recipients from the same thoracic intensive care unit (ICU). We sought to determine the source(s) of these infections. METHODS: Medical records of the donor and infected transplant recipients were reviewed for clinical characteristics. Clinical specimens underwent routine processing with subculture on Mycoplasma-specific Hayflick agar. Mycoplasma hominis identification was confirmed using sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Mycoplasma hominis isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing on the Illumina NextSeq platform. RESULTS: Three lung transplant recipients presented with invasive M. hominis infections at multiple sites characterized by purulent infections without organisms detected by Gram staining. Each patient had a separate donor; however, pretransplant bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was only available from the donor for patient 1, which subsequently grew M. hominis. Phylo- and pangenomic analyses indicated that the isolates from the donor and the corresponding recipient (patient 1) were closely related and formed a distinct single clade. In contrast, isolates from patients 2 and 3 were unrelated and divergent from one another. CONCLUSIONS: Mycoplasma hominis should be considered a cause of donor-derived infection. Genomic data suggest donor-to-recipient transmission of M. hominis. Additional patients co-located in the ICU were found to have genetically unrelated M. hominis isolates, excluding patient-to-patient transmission.
Authors: Victoria J Chalker; Martin G Sharratt; Christopher L Rees; Oliver H Bell; Edward Portal; Kirsty Sands; Matthew S Payne; Lucy C Jones; Owen B Spiller Journal: Antimicrob Agents Chemother Date: 2021-03-18 Impact factor: 5.191
Authors: Michael J Shipton; Paul M Kinsella; Thomas Davis; Francesca Azzato; George Taiaroa; Jeff Szer; David Routledge; Olivia Smibert Journal: Bone Marrow Transplant Date: 2022-04-11 Impact factor: 5.174