Microorganisms

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Pablo Yagupsky

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410500, Israel
Interests: pediatric infectious diseases; Kingella kingae infections; human brucellosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Ceroni Dimitri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Paediatric OrthopaedicUnit, Department of Child and Adolescent, Children’s Hospital,6 Rue Willy Donzé, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Interests: pediatric Infectious diseases; Kingella kingae infections; human brucellosis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the three decades following the first description of Kingella kingae, the organism was considered an exceptional cause of human infection, usually associated with bacterial endocarditis in adult patients. The serendipitous discovery that the inoculation of skeletal system exudates into blood culture vials enhanced the recovery of this fastidious organism led to the recognition that K. kingae was an important invasive pathogen of early childhood. The development and implementation of nucleic acid amplification tests further improved its laboratory detection and established K. kingae as the prime etiology of septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, intervertebral disk infections, and hematogenous tenosynovitis in children aged 6–48 months. Recent studies revealed a wide array of K. kingae virulence factors that facilitate oropharyngeal colonization, the invasion of the bloodstream, and dissemination to skeletal tissues and the endocardium.

This Special Issue of Microorganisms aims to present a collection of articles that provide a current update on the research in the K. kingae field. Manuscripts covering all aspects of research relating to K. kingae are welcome, including the bacterium's biology and its pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical disease, and diagnostics.

Prof. Dr. Pablo Yagupsky
Dr. Ceroni Dimitri
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Kingella kingae
genomics
virulence factors
colonization
invasive infections
children
culture
molecular detection methods

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

10 pages, 280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biological Predictors of Osteoarticular Infection Due to K. kingae—A Retrospective Cohort Study of 247 Cases

by Blaise Cochard, Giacomo De Marco, Ludmilla Bazin, Oscar Vazquez, Giorgio Di Laura Frattura, Christina N. Steiger, Romain Dayer and Dimitri Ceroni

Microorganisms 2023, 11(9), 2130; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11092130 - 22 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 662

Abstract

Pediatric osteoarticular infections (OAIs) are serious conditions that can lead to severe septic complications, prolonged morbidity with long-term impaired function, and perturbed subsequent bone development. Kingella kingae (K. kingae) is currently accepted as the predominant pathogen in pediatric OAIs, especially among 6–48 month olds. The present study aimed to identify clinical and biological markers that would refine the detection of patients with an OAI due to K. kingae. We retrospectively studied every consecutive case of pediatric OAI admitted to our institution over 17 years. Medical records were examined for patient characteristics such as temperature at admission, affected segment, and biological parameters such as white blood cell (WBC) count, left shift, platelet count (PLT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The 247 patients included 52.2% males and 47.8% females and mean age was 18.5 ± 10 months old. Four patients were older than 48 months; none were younger than 6 months old. Mean temperature at admission was 37.4 ± 0.9 °C. Regarding biological parameters, mean WBC count was 12,700 ± 4180/mm³, left shift was only present in one patient, mean PLT was 419,000 ± 123,000/mm³, mean CRP was 26.6 ± 27.8 mg/L, and mean ESR was 35.0 ± 18.9 mm/h. Compared to the modified predictors of OAI defined by Kocher and Caird, 17.2% of our cases were above their cut-off values for temperature, 52.3% were above the WBC cut-off, 33.5% were above the ESR cut-off, and 46.4% were above the CRP cut-off. OAIs due to K. kingae frequently remain undetected using the classic biological parameters for investigating bacterial infections. As an addition to the predictors normally used (°C, WBC, CRP, and ESR), this study found that elevated platelet count was frequently present during OAIs caused by K. kingae. Although this biological characteristic was inconstant, its presence was highly significant and very suggestive of an invasive infection due to K. kingae. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Kingella kingae: Virulence Factors, Clinical Disease, and Diagnostics)

10 pages, 836 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pediatric Osteoarticular Kingella kingae Infections of the Hand and Wrist: A Retrospective Study

by Blaise Cochard, Elvin Gurbanov, Ludmilla Bazin, Giacomo De Marco, Oscar Vazquez, Giorgio Di Laura Frattura, Christina N. Steiger, Romain Dayer and Dimitri Ceroni

Microorganisms 2023, 11(8), 2123; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11082123 - 21 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 905

Abstract

Our understanding of pediatric osteoarticular infections (OAIs) has improved significantly in recent decades. Kingella kingae is now recognized as the most common pathogen responsible for OAIs in pediatric populations younger than 4 years old. Research has provided a better understanding of the specific types, clinical characteristics, biological repercussions, and functional outcomes of these infections. Hands and wrists are rarely infected, with few reports available in the literature. The present study aimed to examine this specific condition in a large patient cohort, explore the implications for each anatomical area using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and critically evaluate the evolution of therapeutic management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Kingella kingae: Virulence Factors, Clinical Disease, and Diagnostics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

13 pages, 1163 KiB

Open AccessReview

Infective Endocarditis Due to Kingella kingae

by Raphael Joye, Vladimir L. Cousin, Iliona Malaspinas, Leonce Mwizerwa, Maya Bouhabib, Tomasz Nalecz, Tornike Sologashvili, Maurice Beghetti, Arnaud G. L’Huillier and Julie Wacker

Microorganisms 2024, 12(1), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010164 - 13 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1052

Abstract

Infective endocarditis due to Kingella kingae is a rare but serious invasive infection that occurs mostly in children. Recent advances in nucleic acid amplification testing as well as in cardiac imaging have enabled more accurate diagnosis. A good understanding of the epidemiology and virulence factors remains crucial to guide the therapeutic approach. Here, we synthesize the current state of knowledge on epidemiological features, pathophysiological insights, complications, and therapy regarding Kingella kingae endocarditis in children and adults. Finally, throughout this comprehensive review, knowledge gaps and areas for future research are also identified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Kingella kingae: Virulence Factors, Clinical Disease, and Diagnostics)

► Show Figures