Fleer A, Verhoef J, Pascual Hernandez A
Am J Med. 1986 Jun 30;80(6B):161-5. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(86)90495-x.
In contrast to the well-established pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, the coagulase-negative staphylococci--formerly collectively called Staphylococcus epidermidis--were until recently regarded as harmless commensals. During the last two decades, however, the coagulase-negative staphylococci have clearly emerged as pathogens in patients who have artificial devices implanted, such as prosthetic heart valves, hip prostheses, and cerebrospinal fluid shunts, and in those with compromised host defenses such as premature neonates, cancer patients, and transplant recipients. Recently, an increasing incidence of septicemia due to coagulase-negative staphylococci was detected in our neonatal intensive care unit. More than 90 percent of cases occurred in premature infants of low birth weight (less than 2,500 g). All septicemic infants were receiving intravenous therapy, and total parenteral nutrition solutions had been administered to nearly 80 percent just before or during the septic episode. This led us to examine the role of host defense factors in neonates and the possible significance of bacterial surface characteristics in the pathogenesis of catheter-associated infections.
与已被充分认识的病原体金黄色葡萄球菌相比，凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌——以前统称为表皮葡萄球菌——直到最近还被视为无害的共生菌。然而，在过去二十年中，凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌在植入人工装置的患者中，如人工心脏瓣膜、髋关节假体和脑脊液分流器患者，以及在宿主防御功能受损的患者中，如早产儿、癌症患者和移植受者，已明显成为病原体。最近，我们的新生儿重症监护病房检测到凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌引起的败血症发病率不断上升。超过90%的病例发生在低出生体重（小于2500克）的早产儿中。所有败血症婴儿均接受静脉治疗，近80%的婴儿在败血症发作前或发作期间接受了全胃肠外营养溶液。这促使我们研究新生儿宿主防御因素的作用以及细菌表面特征在导管相关感染发病机制中的可能意义。
