Clinical utility of universal 16S rRNA PCR using sterile body fluids: lung abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica

Nocardiosis is an infectious disease caused by Gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria and presents as a suppurative granulomatous disease in patients with compromised immune systems. Few studies have investigated the clinical utility of the universal 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using...

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Main Authors: Jungseo Park, Jun-Won Seo, Na Ra Yoon, Dong-Min Kim, Choon-Mee Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries 2023-05-01
Series:Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
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Online Access:https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/15449
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author Jungseo Park
Jun-Won Seo
Na Ra Yoon
Dong-Min Kim
Choon-Mee Kim
author_facet Jungseo Park
Jun-Won Seo
Na Ra Yoon
Dong-Min Kim
Choon-Mee Kim
author_sort Jungseo Park
collection DOAJ
description Nocardiosis is an infectious disease caused by Gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria and presents as a suppurative granulomatous disease in patients with compromised immune systems. Few studies have investigated the clinical utility of the universal 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using sterile body fluids for diagnosing nocardiosis. A 64-year-old female patient was admitted to Chosun University Hospital with the complaint of fever. Computed tomography scans of her chest revealed the presence of empyema and an abscess in the right lung. Pus samples were collected using closed chest thoracostomy and were cultured. The results revealed the presence of Gram-positive bacilli, but the culture tests were unable to identify the causative microorganism. Despite antibiotic treatment, the patient died of the suspected empyema and abscess. Universal 16S PCR of her sterile body fluids in combination with sequencing was performed, which led to the diagnosis of Nocardia farcinica infection. Postmortem, the remainder of the pus samples cultured for 8 days confirmed the presence of N. farcinica. This study illustrates the importance of using routine universal 16S rRNA PCR with sterile body fluids to help diagnose atypical bacterial infections such as nocardiosis.
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publisher The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
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spelling doaj-art-04f4a30e4e7c444e934aeaf1be666d1d2025-08-20T03:52:43ZengThe Journal of Infection in Developing CountriesJournal of Infection in Developing Countries1972-26802023-05-01170510.3855/jidc.15449Clinical utility of universal 16S rRNA PCR using sterile body fluids: lung abscess caused by Nocardia farcinicaJungseo Park0Jun-Won Seo1Na Ra Yoon2Dong-Min Kim3Choon-Mee Kim4College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, South KoreaGraduate School of Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of KoreaDepartments of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of KoreaDepartments of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of KoreaPremedical Science, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea Nocardiosis is an infectious disease caused by Gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria and presents as a suppurative granulomatous disease in patients with compromised immune systems. Few studies have investigated the clinical utility of the universal 16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using sterile body fluids for diagnosing nocardiosis. A 64-year-old female patient was admitted to Chosun University Hospital with the complaint of fever. Computed tomography scans of her chest revealed the presence of empyema and an abscess in the right lung. Pus samples were collected using closed chest thoracostomy and were cultured. The results revealed the presence of Gram-positive bacilli, but the culture tests were unable to identify the causative microorganism. Despite antibiotic treatment, the patient died of the suspected empyema and abscess. Universal 16S PCR of her sterile body fluids in combination with sequencing was performed, which led to the diagnosis of Nocardia farcinica infection. Postmortem, the remainder of the pus samples cultured for 8 days confirmed the presence of N. farcinica. This study illustrates the importance of using routine universal 16S rRNA PCR with sterile body fluids to help diagnose atypical bacterial infections such as nocardiosis. https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1544916S rRNAGram-positive bacteriapolymerase chain reactionGram-stainingnocardiosis
spellingShingle Jungseo Park
Jun-Won Seo
Na Ra Yoon
Dong-Min Kim
Choon-Mee Kim
Clinical utility of universal 16S rRNA PCR using sterile body fluids: lung abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica
Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
16S rRNA
Gram-positive bacteria
polymerase chain reaction
Gram-staining
nocardiosis
title Clinical utility of universal 16S rRNA PCR using sterile body fluids: lung abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica
title_full Clinical utility of universal 16S rRNA PCR using sterile body fluids: lung abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica
title_fullStr Clinical utility of universal 16S rRNA PCR using sterile body fluids: lung abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica
title_full_unstemmed Clinical utility of universal 16S rRNA PCR using sterile body fluids: lung abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica
title_short Clinical utility of universal 16S rRNA PCR using sterile body fluids: lung abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica
title_sort clinical utility of universal 16s rrna pcr using sterile body fluids lung abscess caused by nocardia farcinica
topic 16S rRNA
Gram-positive bacteria
polymerase chain reaction
Gram-staining
nocardiosis
url https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/15449
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