SPHINGOMYELINASE ACTIVITY OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS STRAINS FROM RECURRENT FURUNCULOSIS AND OTHER INFECTIONS

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Abstract
Sphingomyelinase (.beta.-hemolysin) production by 180 S. aureus strains was determined in a qualitative enzyme impression test (EIT). All but 4 of the strains were also tested in a quantitative enzyme assay test (EAT) using 14C-sphingomyelin as the test substrate. A total of 59 strains (33%) were positive for enzyme production in the EIT. The highest frequency of enzyme production was found in strains isolated from patients with recurrent furunculosis (45%) as compared with strains from chronic osteomyelitis, tropical pyomyositis and healthy nasal carriers (18, 8 and 19%, respectively). Strains showing a high frequency of sphingomyelinase production in the EAT were mostly found among furunculosis strains, phage type 55 and/or 71. The furunculosis strains lysed by phages 3A and/or 3C mostly had low sphingomyelinase production. In 3 families, high- and low-producing strains of the same phage group were isolated from 2 different members of the same family. The high-producing strains caused more intense skin lesions.