Objective The aim of our study is to investigate the prevalence of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and the genetic characteristics of the class 1 integron in CRKP on multi-drug resistance.Methods Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were collected from multiple departments of a hospital in central China. CRKP strains were identified among the isolates, and antibiotics susceptibility of CRKP strains was analyzed. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was adopted to amplify the class 1 integron variable area. The integron genetic structure was analyzed with enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing technology. The relation between class 1 integron and drug resistance was analyzed statistically.Results Totally 955 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from varied sites of the hospital, and 117(12.3%) of them were identified as CRKP, with a separation rate of 8.9% (26/292) in 2013, 11.3% (38/336) in 2014 and 16.2% (53/327) in 2015, which shows an increasing trend by year. 44.4% (52/117) of CRKP strains were separated from specimen of ICU, and 61.5% (72/117) were from sputum. Over 95% CRKP strains were resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidme, cefotaxime, cefepime,and piperacillin, while relatively low resistant rates were found in tigecycline (12.8%) and colistin (35.9%). The class 1 integron was detected in 77.8% (91/117) of CRKP strains. Class 1 integron of CRKP was significantly correlated with the antibiotic resistance to the tobramycin, gentamicin and amikacin (all P<0.01). The gene cassette analysis of variable area of class 1 integron showed that aadA2 accounts for 64.8% (59/91), aacA4-catB8-aadA1 23.1% (21/91), and aadA2-dfrA25 12.1% (11/91).Conclusions CRKP has an increasing trend in a clinical setting in China, and most of them were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Class 1 integron in CRKP has strong ability to capture the genes resistant to aminoglycosides antibiotics from environment, with the aadA2 gene as the most popular one.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Carbapenems ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Integrons ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae is a worldwide problem. Although various resistance mechanisms have been recognized with increasing frequency, only a few cases of triple resistance of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae have been reported. This study was designed to evaluate the coexistence of qnr (qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS) and 16S rRNA methylase (armA, rmtA, rmtB, and rmtC) in ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae. METHODS: We tested 44 isolates of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae at Chungnam National University Hospital from March to September 2006. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by broth microdilution method, and transconjugation test was performed using E. coli J53 with azide resistance. Search for qnr (qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS) and 16S rRNA methylase (armA, rmtA, rmtB, and rmtC) genes was conducted by PCR amplification, and the genotypes were determined by direct nucleotide sequence analysis of the amplified products. Epidemiologic study was performed by Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR (ERIC-PCR). RESULTS: All ESBL-positive strains produced qnrB; however, armA was detected in 68.2%. The coproduction rate of qnrB and armA in ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae was 68.2%. Two types (A and B) were dominant in ERIC-PCR results. CONCLUSIONS: K. pneumoniae producing qnrB, armA, and ESBL are spreading widely.
Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis/*genetics ; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Humans ; Klebsiella Infections/microbiology ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Methyltransferases/biosynthesis/*genetics ; beta-Lactamases/biosynthesis/drug effects/*genetics

In this study, we investigated the molecular characteristics of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates that were recovered from an outbreak in a Korean hospital. A new multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for K. pneumoniae based on five housekeeping genes was developed and was evaluated for 43 ESBL-producing isolates from an outbreak as well as 38 surveillance isolates from Korea and also a reference strain. Overall, a total of 37 sequence types (STs) and six clonal complexes (CCs) were identified among the 82 K. pneumoniae isolates. The result of MLST analysis was concordant with that of pulsedfield gel electrophoresis. Most of the outbreak isolates belonged to a certain clone (ST2), and they produced SHV-1 and CTX-M14 enzymes, which was a different feature from that of the K. pneumoniae isolates from other Korean hospitals (ST20 and SHV-12). We also found a different distribution of CCs between ESBL-producing and -nonproducing K. pneumoniae isolates. The MLST method we developed in this study could provide unambiguous and well-resolved data for the epidemiologic study of K. pneumoniae. The outbreak isolates showed different molecular characteristics from the other K. pneumoniae isolates from other Korean hospitals.
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/*classification/enzymology/genetics/isolation & purification ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; beta-Lactamases/*biosynthesis ; Mycobacteria, Atypical/*drug effects/genetics/isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo explore the distribution of qnr gene and broad spectrum p-lactamase (ESBLs) gene in gram-negative bacteria which were isolated from our hospital patients.

METHODSqnr gene in nonrepetitive 129 isolates of Escherichia coli, 10 isolates of Enterobacter cloacac and 29 isolates of K. pneunoniae were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For qnr gene positive strains, int I, SHV-1, TEM-1, CTX-M, OXA-I , OXA-II , OXA-III, DHA and EBC genes were examined. Plasmid conjugatable test was applied to examine whether qnr gene was located in conjugate plasmid and ERIC-PCR was carried out for DNA homologous analysis. ESBLs detection (according to phenotypic confirmatory test based on National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards criteria) and susceptibility test to 16 antibiotics were also performed.

RESULTSqnr gene was found in 6 clinical isolates including 5 strain of E. coli and one strain of E. cloacac, but qnr gene was undetectable in K. pneunoniae isolates. The 6 clinical isolates were suspectible to imipenem but resistance to some other drugs while only 2 isolates of E. coli were susceptible to quinolone. Among the 6 qnr gene-positive strains, all of them belonged to I type integron-positive isolates, 4 isolates of them were TEM-1 producing strains,with only one isolate was OXA-III gene producing strain, and 2 isolates of them were EBC producing strains. Most of them were with 2 ESBLs gene if not more. qnr gene was on transferable plasmids which could be disseminated by clone.

CONCLUSIONIn Wuhan city, the prevalence of qnr was confirmed. qnr gene were found with some ESBLs gene in the same strains, and qnr gene in suspect strains. The transmission of qnr gene producing strains could be mediated by transferable plasmids or clone, forcing us to make intensive investigation and take effective control measures.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; genetics ; Enterobacter cloacae ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Escherichia coli Proteins ; genetics ; Genes, Bacterial ; Humans ; Imipenem ; pharmacology ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Quinolones ; pharmacology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; beta-Lactamases ; genetics

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to investigate drug resistance and genotypes of the extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBLs) and AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from Uygur and Han newborns in Urumqi.

METHODSDisk diffusion test (Kirby-Bauer) was used for detecting drug resistance of 299 strains to twenty two kinds of antibiotics. Resistance genes of the ESBLs and AmpC β-lactamase-producing strains were amplified by multiplex PCR and subtypes were confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. Total 148 strains were selected with random number table and sequenced, which included TEM-, SHV-, CTX-M-1-, or CTX-M-9-positive ESBLs-producing strains and DHA-, or CIT-positive AmpC β-lactamase-producing strains. Antibiotic resistant rates were analyzed by Whonet 5.4 and statistic analysis was performed by chi-square (χ(2)) test with PEMS 3.1.

RESULTSThe antibiotic resistant rates between Uygur and Han newborns significantly differ in ESBLs-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae to Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (80.0% (40/50) and 56.0% (28/50), χ(2) = 6.6176, P = 0.0101), in ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli to Sulbactam and Cefoperazone (54.2% (32/59) and 94.0% (47/50), χ(2) = 21.4512, P = 0.0000), and in AmpC β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae to Sulbactam and Cefoperazone (100.0% (20/20) and 72.2% (26/36), χ(2) = 6.7633, P = 0.0093) and to Amikacin (65.0% (13/20) and 25.0% (9/36), χ(2) = 8.6246, P = 0.0033). Although SHV gene of ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli was detected from Uygur newborns at only 3.4% (2/59) and not detectable from Han newborns, TEM, CTX-M-1, and CTX-M-9 group genes were all detected over 38.0% (19/50). Among the detected strains, the subtypes of TEM and CTX-M-1 were mainly TEM-1 and CTX-M-15, respectively; whereas the subtypes of SHV and CTX-M-9 included SHV-1, 2, 11, 12, 27, 61, 99 and CTX-M-9, 14, 24, 27, 65, respectively. The strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying two or more kinds of ESBLs genotypes were 56.7% (42/74) - 90.0% (63/70). Two species carrying the AmpC gene in two kinds of newborns were only grouped in the subtypes of DHA-1 and CMY-44, and other subtypes were not detected at all. Moreover, TEM-positive ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli were detected from Uygur newborns at the higher rate than that from Han newborns (71.2% (42/59) and 50.0% (25/50), χ(2) = 5.1291, P = 0.0235), while there was no difference in other genotypes detected between two kinds of newborns (χ(2) < 3.7780, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere were significant differences in antibiotic resistance and genotype distribution of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli between two nationality newborns, and these two bacteria detected in this study carried multi-resistance genes and showed high resistant to β-lactamase antibiotics.

Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; China ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Escherichia coli Infections ; microbiology ; Ethnic Groups ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Klebsiella Infections ; microbiology ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; beta-Lactam Resistance ; genetics ; beta-Lactamases ; metabolism

We investigated the occurrence and genetic basis of AmpC beta-lactamase (AmpC)-mediated antibiotic resistance, by examining Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis isolates at a university hospital, from 2007 to 2010. The ampC genes were detected by multiplex AmpC PCR, and AmpC-positive strains were subjected to DNA sequencing. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production was assessed using the ESBL disk test based on the utilization of boronic acid. Carbapenem-resistant isolates were further investigated by the modified Hodge test, a carbapenemase inhibition test and SDS-PAGE experiments. AmpC expression was detected in 1.6% of E. coli (39 DHA-1, 45 CMY-2, and 1 CMY-1) isolates, 7.2% of K. pneumoniae (39 DHA-1, 45 CMY-2, and 1 CMY-1) isolates, and 2.5% of P. mirabilis (8 CMY-2 and 1 CMY-1) isolates. Of the 198 acquired AmpC producers, 58 isolates (29.3%) also produced an ESBL enzyme. Among the acquired AmpC-producing K. pneumoniae isolates, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) MIC50/MIC90 values for cefoxitin, cefotaxime, cefepime, imipenem, and meropenem were >32/>32, 16/>32, 1/16, 0.25/0.5, and <0.125/0.125 microg/mL, respectively. The MIC values for carbapenem were > or =2 microg/mL for 2 K. pneumoniae isolates, both of which carried the blaDHA-1 gene with a loss of OmpK36 expression, but were negative for carbapenemase production. The acquisition of AmpC-mediated resistance in K. pneumoniae isolates increased, as did the proportion of AmpC and ESBL co-producers among the hospital isolates. The accurate identification of isolates producing AmpCs and ESBLs may aid in infection control and will assist physicians in selecting an appropriate antibiotic regimen.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/*genetics ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; Enterobacteriaceae Infections/*epidemiology/*microbiology ; Escherichia coli/drug effects/enzymology/isolation & purification ; Hospitals, University/statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects/enzymology/isolation & purification/*physiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Proteus mirabilis/drug effects/enzymology/isolation & purification ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; beta-Lactamases/*genetics

Carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPO) are rapidly disseminating worldwide, and their presence in tertiary care hospitals poses a significant threat to the management of nosocomial infections. There is a need to control CPO, especially in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, because these organisms are resistant to most beta-lactam antibiotics and are easily transmitted. At present, the identification of CPO is time-consuming; hence, this study focused on the use of the Xpert CARBA-R assay (Cepheid, USA) to determine intestinal colonization rates of CPO in patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary care hospital in Korea. Forty clinical stool samples were collected and inoculated both in a CARBA-R cartridge and in conventional culture plates. The CARBA-R assay required only ~one hour to screen CPO, while the time required for conventional culture was over three days. We also found that the prevalences of intestinal colonization by carbapenem-resistant organisms and Enterobacteriaceae were 17.5% (7 out of 40) and 7.5% (3 out of 40), respectively. Among the colonizing strains, three that contained carbapenemase, including Klebsiella pneumonia carbapenemase (KPC), and imipenem (IMP) and Verona integron-mediated metallo-beta-lactamase (VIM) were found. With its convenience, the Xpert CARBA-R assay can be included in CPO surveillance strategies.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; DNA, Bacterial/analysis ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/genetics ; Enterobacteriaceae/drug effects/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Feces/microbiology ; Humans ; Imipenem/pharmacology ; Intensive Care Units ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Republic of Korea ; Tertiary Healthcare ; beta-Lactamases/*genetics/metabolism

BACKGROUND: The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae poses a serious problem to antibiotic management. We investigated the beta-lactamases in a group of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae clinical isolates from Turkey. METHODS: Thirty-seven strains of K. pneumoniae isolated from various clinical specimens were analyzed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCR for the detection of beta-lactamase genes, DNA sequencing, and repetitive extragenic palindronic (REP)-PCR analysis. RESULTS: All 37 isolates were resistant to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, piperacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime, cefoperazone/sulbactam, cefepime, imipenem, and meropenem. The lowest resistance rates were observed for colistin (2.7%), tigecycline (11%), and amikacin (19%). According to PCR and sequencing results, 98% (36/37) of strains carried at least one carbapenemase gene, with 32 (86%) carrying OXA-48 and 7 (19%) carrying NDM-1. No other carbapenemase genes were identified. All strains carried a CTX-M-2-like beta-lactamase, and some carried SHV- (97%), TEM- (9%), and CTX-M-1-like (62%) beta-lactamases. Sequence analysis of bla(TEM) genes identified a bla(TEM-166) with an amino acid change at position 53 (Arg53Gly) from bla(TEM-1b), the first report of a mutation in this region. REP-PCR analysis revealed that there were seven different clonal groups, and temporo-spatial links were identified within these groups. CONCLUSIONS: Combinations of beta-lactamases were found in all strains, with the most common being OXA-48, SHV, TEM, and CTX-M-type (76% of strains). We have reported, for the first time, a high prevalence of the NDM-1 (19%) carbapenemase in carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae from Turkey. These enzymes often co-exist with other beta-lactamases, such as TEM, SHV, and CTX-M beta-lactamases.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Carbapenems/*pharmacology ; DNA, Bacterial/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Genotype ; Humans ; Klebsiella Infections/diagnosis/microbiology ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/*drug effects/enzymology/isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Turkey ; beta-Lactamases/*genetics/metabolism

PURPOSE: Tigecycline is one of the drugs used to treat multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) infections, including complicated skin and soft tissue infections, complicated intra-abdominal infection, and community-acquired pneumonia in the Republic of Korea. However, since its commercial release, K. pneumoniae resistance against tigecycline has been reported, and there is a serious concern about the spread of tigecycline resistant bacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we collected and analyzed 342 isolates from 23 hospitals in the Republic of Korea to determine the mechanisms of tigecycline susceptibility and their clonal types. The hospitals include several from each province in the Republic of Korea, except Jeju, an island province, and nonsusceptibility among the isolates was tested by the disk diffusion method. In our lab, susceptibility was checked again using the broth dilution method, and clonal types were determined using the multilocus sequence typing protocol. Real-time PCR was performed to measure the ramR mutation in the isolates nonsusceptible to tigecycline, which would suggest an increased expression of the AcrAB multidrug pump. RESULTS: Fifty-six K. pneumoniae isolates were found to be nonsusceptible, 16% of the 342 collected. Twenty-seven and nine isolates of the tigecycline nonsusceptible isolates had mutations in the ramR and rpsJ genes, respectively; while 18 nonsusceptible isolates harbored the tetA gene. Comparison of isolates with and without ramR mutation showed a significant statistical difference (p<0.05) for expression of AcrAB. Moreover, the most common clonal types, as observed in our study, appear to be ST11 and ST789. CONCLUSION: Several dominate clonal types infer tigecycline resistance to K. pneumoniae, including ST11, ST768, ST15, ST23, ST48, and ST307. There does not seem to be a transferrable medium, such as plasmid, for the resistance yet, although mutation of the ramR gene may be a common event, accounting for 48% of the nonsusceptibility in this study.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Bacterial Proteins ; *Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Klebsiella Infections/*drug therapy ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/*drug effects/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Minocycline/*analogs & derivatives/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Republic of Korea

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing K. pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPC) were first reported in the USA in 2001, and since then, this infection has been reported in Europe, Israel, South America, and China. In Korea, the first KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 11 strain was detected in 2010. We report the case of a patient with a urinary tract infection caused by KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae. This is the second report of a KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae infection in Korea, but the multilocus sequence type was ST258. The KPC-2-producing isolate was resistant to all tested beta-lactams (including imipenem and meropenem), amikacin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but was susceptible to gentamicin, colistin, polymyxin B, and tigecycline. The KPC-2-producing isolate was negative to phenotypic extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC detection tests and positive to modified Hodge test and carbapenemase inhibition test with aminophenylboronic acid.
Aged ; Bacterial Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; Carbapenems/pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Urinary Tract Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; beta-Lactamases/antagonists & inhibitors/biosynthesis/*genetics/metabolism