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J Med Microbiol 56 (2007), 988-992; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.47186-0
© 2007 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644

Case Report

Repeated bacteraemia caused by Streptococcus mutans in a patient with Sjögren's syndrome

Ryota Nomura1, Masakazu Hamada2, Kazuhiko Nakano1, Hirotoshi Nemoto1, Koji Fujimoto2 and Takashi Ooshima1

1 Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

2 Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Itami City Hospital, Itami, Hyogo 664-8540, Japan

Correspondence
Kazuhiko Nakano
nakano{at}dent.osaka-u.ac.jp

Received 25 January 2007
Accepted 7 March 2007

Streptococcus mutans, considered to be a pathogen for dental caries, is known to cause bacteraemia and infective endocarditis. Herein, an unusual case of repeated bacteraemia caused by S. mutans identified in a 71-year-old male is described. The patient visited Itami City Hospital with the major complaint of a fever, and a subsequent clinical examination led to a diagnosis of possible infective endocarditis without specific vegetation formation around the heart valve. A bacteriological examination of blood taken at the first visit showed the presence of S. mutans. Antimicrobial treatment was provided, which successfully eliminated the pathogenic bacteria from the blood. However, the patient returned and was hospitalized twice more with a recurrent fever, and S. mutans was again detected. Analyses of the biological properties of the S. mutans isolates showed that they possessed cariogenic properties and had a low susceptibility to phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Since the patient had Sjögren's syndrome, in which a reduction of saliva secretion is a characteristic feature, a great number of dental caries lesions were identified. The findings indicated that S. mutans present in those dental caries lesions caused repeated bacteraemia in this case.




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H. Nemoto, K. Nakano, R. Nomura, and T. Ooshima
Molecular characterization of Streptococcus mutans strains isolated from the heart valve of an infective endocarditis patient
J. Med. Microbiol., July 1, 2008; 57(7): 891 - 895.
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