Microbiological and clinical features of Corynebacterium urealyticum: urinary tract stones and genomics as the Rosetta Stone

ABSTRACT

Corynebacterium urealyticum, formerly known as coryneform CDC group D2, was first recognized to be involved in human infections 30 years ago. It is a slow-growing, lipophilic, asaccharolytic and usually multidrug-resistant organism with potent urease activity. Its cell wall peptidoglycan, menaquinone, mycolic and cellular fatty acid composition is consistent with that of the genus Corynebacterium. DNA–DNA hybridization studies and 16S rDNA sequencing analysis have been used to determine the degree of relatedness of C. urealyticum to other corynebacterial species. The genome of the type strain consists of a circular chromosome with a size of 2 369 219 bp and a mean G + C content of 64.2%, and analysis of its genome explains the bacterium's lifestyle. C. urealyticum is a common skin colonizer of hospitalized elderly individuals who are receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics. It is an opportunistic pathogen causing mainly acute cystitis, pyelonephritis, encrusted cystitis, and encrusted pyelitis. More infrequently, it causes other infections, but mainly in patients with urological diseases. Infections are more common in males than in females, and treatment requires administration of antibiotics active against the organism in vitro, mainly glycopeptides, as well as surgical intervention, the latter mostly in cases of chronic infection. Mortality directly associated with infection by this organism is not frequent, but encrusted pyelitis in kidney-recipient patients may cause graft loss. The outcome of infection by this organism is reasonably good if the microbiological diagnosis is made and patients are treated appropriately.