Increasing prevalence of blaOXA-23-carrying Acinetobacter baumannii and the emergence of blaOXA-182-carrying Acinetobacter nosocomialis in Korea

Molecular and virulence characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates: a prospective cohort study

This study aimed to characterize the molecular features and virulence profiles of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) isolates. Clinical CRAB isolates were obtained from blood cultures of adult patients with CRAB bacteremia, collected between July 2015 and July 2021 at a Korean hospital. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect 13 virulence genes, genotyping was conducted via multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and a Tenebrio molitor infection model was selected for survival analysis. Herein, 170 patients, from whom CRAB isolates were collected, showed the in-hospital mortality rate of 57.6%. All 170 clinical CRAB isolates harbored blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-51. MLST genotyping identified 11 CRAB sequence types (STs), of which ST191 was predominant (25.7%). Virulence genes were distributed as follows: basD, 58.9%; espA, 15.9%; bap, 92.4%; and ompA, 77.1%. In the T. molitor model, ST195 showed a significantly higher mortality rate (73.3% vs. 66.7%, p = 0.015) than the other groups. Our findings provide insights into the microbiological features of CRAB blood isolates associated with high mortality. We suggest a potential framework for using a T. molitor infection model to characterize CRAB virulence. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms by which virulence improves clinical outcomes.

Changing Epidemiology of Pathogenic Bacteria Over the Past 20 Years in Korea

BACKGROUND

The epidemiology of pathogenic bacteria varies according to the socioeconomic status and antimicrobial resistance status. However, longitudinal epidemiological studies to evaluate the changes in species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria nationwide are lacking. We retrospectively investigated the nationwide trends in species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogenic bacteria over the last 20 years in Korea.

METHODS

From 1997 to 2016, annual cumulative antimicrobial susceptibility and species distribution data were collected from 12 university hospitals in five provinces and four metropolitan cities in South Korea.

RESULTS

The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus was the highest (13.1%) until 2012 but decreased to 10.3% in 2016, consistent with the decrease in oxacillin resistance from 76.1% in 2008 to 62.5% in 2016. While the cefotaxime resistance of Escherichia coli increased from 9.0% in 1997 to 34.2% in 2016, E. coli became the most common species since 2013, accounting for 14.5% of all isolates in 2016. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii rose to third and fifth places in 2008 and 2010, respectively, while imipenem resistance increased from 13.9% to 30.8% and 0.7% to 73.5% during the study period, respectively. Streptococcus agalactiae became the most common pathogenic streptococcal species in 2016, as the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae decreased since 2010. During the same period, pneumococcal penicillin susceptibility decreased to 79.0%, and levofloxacin susceptibility of S. agalactiae decreased to 77.1% in 2016.

CONCLUSION

The epidemiology of pathogenic bacteria has changed significantly over the past 20 years according to trends in antimicrobial resistance in Korea. Efforts to confine antimicrobial resistance would change the epidemiology of pathogenic bacteria and, consequently, the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.

A review on the mechanistic details of OXA enzymes of ESKAPE pathogens

The production of β-lactamases is a prevalent mechanism that poses serious pressure on the control of bacterial resistance. Furthermore, the unavoidable and alarming increase in the transmission of bacteria producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases complicates treatment alternatives with existing drugs and/or approaches. Class D β-lactamases, designated as OXA enzymes, are characterized by their activity specifically towards oxacillins. They are widely distributed among the ESKAPE bugs that are associated with antibiotic resistance and life-threatening hospital infections. The inadequacy of current β-lactamase inhibitors for conventional treatments of 'OXA' mediated infections confirms the necessity of new approaches. Here, the focus is on the mechanistic details of OXA-10, OXA-23, and OXA-48, commonly found in highly virulent and antibiotic-resistant pathogens Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. to describe their similarities and differences. Furthermore, this review contains a specific emphasis on structural and computational perspectives, which will be valuable to guide efforts in the design/discovery of a common single-molecule drug against ESKAPE pathogens.

Auranofin promotes antibacterial effect of doripenem against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

AIMS

This study was performed to identify the potential for repurposing auranofin as an antibiotic adjuvant against carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The clinically isolated A. baumannii strains used in this study were all resistant to carbapenems and harbored the bla_OXA-23 gene. The synergistic effect of auranofin and doripenem against carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii was confirmed through checkerboard and growth kinetic analyses. This study also demonstrated the inhibitory effects of auranofin against A. baumannii biofilms. The anti-biofilm effects of auranofin were visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Furthermore, auranofin inhibited motility, one of the virulence factors. Additionally, the changes in the expression of carbapenemase-, biofilm- and efflux pump-related genes induced by auranofin were confirmed via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that auranofin has an antibacterial effect with doripenem and an inhibitory effect on several factors related to carbapenem resistance.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study suggests that auranofin is a promising antibiotic adjuvant that can be used to prevent antibiotic resistance in carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii.

Synergistic Inhibitory Effect of Polymyxin B in Combination with Ceftazidime against Robust Biofilm Formed by Acinetobacter baumannii with Genetic Deficiency in AbaI/AbaR Quorum Sensing

Carbapenem resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii poses challenges to public health. Biofilm contributes to the persistence of A. baumannii cells. This study was designed to investigate the genetic relationships among carbapenem resistance, polymyxin resistance, multidrug resistance, biofilm formation, and surface-associated motility and evaluate the antibiofilm effect of polymyxin in combination with other antibiotics. A total of 103 clinical A. baumannii strains were used to determine antibiotic susceptibility, biofilm formation capacity, and motility. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR fingerprinting was used to determine the genetic variation among strains. The distribution of 17 genes related to the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type efflux, autoinducer-receptor (AbaI/AbaR) quorum sensing, oxacillinases (OXA)-23, and insertion sequence of ISAba1 element was investigated. The representative strains were chosen to evaluate the gene transcription and the antibiofilm activity by polymyxin B (PB) in combination with merapenem, levofloxacin, and ceftazidime, respectively. ERIC-PCR-dependent fingerprints were found to be associated with carbapenem resistance and multidrug resistance. The presence of bla_OXA-23 was found to correlate with genes involved in ISAba1 insertion, AbaI/AbaR quorum sensing, and AdeABC efflux. Carbapenem resistance was observed to be negatively correlated with biofilm formation and positively correlated with motility. PB in combination with ceftazidime displayed a synergistic antibiofilm effect against robust biofilm formed by an A. baumannii strain with deficiency in AbaI/AbaR quorum sensing. Our results not only clarify the genetic correlation among carbapenem resistance, biofilm formation, and pathogenicity in a certain level but also provide a theoretical basis for clinical applications of polymyxin-based combination of antibiotics in antibiofilm therapy. IMPORTANCE Deeper explorations of molecular correlation among antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and pathogenicity could provide novel insights that would facilitate the development of therapeutics and prevention against A. baumannii biofilm-related infections. The major finding that polymyxin B in combination with ceftazidime displayed a synergistic antibiofilm effect against robust biofilm formed by an A. baumannii strain with genetic deficiency in AbaI/AbaR quorum sensing further provides a theoretical basis for clinical applications of antibiotics in combination with quorum quenching in antibiofilm therapy.

Class D β-lactamases

Class D β-lactamases are composed of 14 families and the majority of the member enzymes are included in the OXA family. The genes for class D β-lactamases are frequently identified in the chromosome as an intrinsic resistance determinant in environmental bacteria and a few of these are found in mobile genetic elements carried by clinically significant pathogens. The most dominant OXA family among class D β-lactamases is superheterogeneous and the family needs to have an updated scheme for grouping OXA subfamilies through phylogenetic analysis. The OXA enzymes, even the members within a subfamily, have a diverse spectrum of resistance. Such varied activity could be derived from their active sites, which are distinct from those of the other serine β-lactamases. Their substrate profile is determined according to the size and position of the P-, Ω- and β5-β6 loops, assembling the active-site channel, which is very hydrophobic. Also, amino acid substitutions occurring in critical structures may alter the range of hydrolysed substrates and one subfamily could include members belonging to several functional groups. This review aims to describe the current class D β-lactamases including the functional groups, occurrence types (intrinsic or acquired) and substrate spectra and, focusing on the major OXA family, a new model for subfamily grouping will be presented.

Emergence, molecular mechanisms and global spread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen that has emerged as a global threat because of high levels of resistance to many antibiotics, particularly those considered to be last-resort antibiotics, such as carbapenems. Although alterations in the efflux pump and outer membrane proteins can cause carbapenem resistance, the main mechanism is the acquisition of carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase-encoding genes. Of these, oxa23 is by far the most widespread in most countries, while oxa24 and oxa58 appear to be dominant in specific regions. Historically, much of the global spread of carbapenem resistance has been due to the dissemination of two major clones, known as global clones 1 and 2, although new lineages are now common in some parts of the world. The analysis of all publicly available genome sequences performed here indicates that ST2, ST1, ST79 and ST25 account for over 71 % of all genomes sequenced to date, with ST2 by far the most dominant type and oxa23 the most widespread carbapenem resistance determinant globally, regardless of clonal type. Whilst this highlights the global spread of ST1 and ST2, and the dominance of oxa23 in both clones, it could also be a result of preferential selection of carbapenem-resistant strains, which mainly belong to the two major clones. Furthermore, ~70 % of the sequenced strains have been isolated from five countries, namely the USA, PR China, Australia, Thailand and Pakistan, with only a limited number from other countries. These genomes are a vital resource, but it is currently difficult to draw an accurate global picture of this important superbug, highlighting the need for more comprehensive genome sequence data and genomic analysis.

In vivo efficacy of combination of colistin with fosfomycin or minocycline in a mouse model of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia

Unfortunately, the options for treating multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) infections are extremely limited. Recently, fosfomycin and minocycline were newly introduced as a treatment option for MDR A. baumannii infection. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of the combination of colistin with fosfomycin and minocycline, respectively, as therapeutic options in MDR A. baumannii pneumonia. We examined a carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolated from clinical specimens at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. The effect of colistin with fosfomycin, and colistin with minocycline on the bacterial counts in lung tissue was investigated in a mouse model of pneumonia caused by MDR A. baumannii. In vivo, colistin with fosfomycin or minocycline significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the bacterial load in the lungs compared with the controls at 24 and 48 h. In the combination groups, the bacterial loads differed significantly (p < 0.05) from that with the more active antimicrobial alone. Moreover, the combination regimens of colistin with fosfomycin and colistin with minocycline showed bactericidal and synergistic effects compared with the more active antimicrobial alone at 24 and 48 h. This study demonstrated the synergistic effects of combination regimens of colistin with fosfomycin and minocycline, respectively, as therapeutic options in pneumonia caused by MDR A. baumannii.

Molecular characterization of multidrug resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from pediatric intensive care unit in a Chinese tertiary hospital

Background

Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen which is reported as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care units (ICUs). However, there is a lack of analysis focused on multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) infection among patients from pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular characterization of MDRAB isolated from PICU.

Methods

In this study, 86 isolates of MDRAB were collected from PICU patients, from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the isolates against common antibiotics were determined. The carbapenemase-encoding resistance genes and AdeABC-AdeRS efflux system genes of these isolates were detected by PCR. Real-time PCR was performed to determine the relative expression of the relevant efflux pumps.

Results

Among 86 strains of MDRAB, 76.7% (66/86) were carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB). All 86 clinical isolates possessed the bla_OXA-51 gene. Bla_OXA-23 was detected as the second most frequent (90.7%) carbapenemase. Harboring AdeABC efflux pump genes was prevalent among the majority of the MDR isolates. Specially, the distributions of AdeABC-AdeRS efflux system genes in CRAB strains reached up to 90.0%. Compared with those of the CSAB strains, there was a statistically significant increasing distribution of the regulator AdeR and AdeS genes(p < 0.05). Moreover, CRAB strains showed significantly increased expression of AdeB(12.3- fold), but decreased expression of AdeR (3.3- fold)(p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The present study showed a high distribution of multiple genes, mainly the genes of bla_OXA-23/bla_OXA-51 carbapenemase and AdeABC efflux pump, is responsible to distinct drug-resistance in PICU. It is urgent to strengthen the molecular epidemiological surveillance of pediatric MDRAB isolates to prevent further outbreaks. This study is of significant help for the clinicians to make therapeutic decisions and manage infection control in PICU.

Epidemiology and treatment of antimicrobialresistant gram-negative bacteria in Korea

Antimicrobial resistance is becoming one of the greatest challenges to public health worldwide. Infections by antimicrobial-resistant organisms could result in the failure of treatment, increased medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and an increased socioeconomic burden. Antimicrobial usage in Korea remains heavy, even after much effort to reduce their use. According to the Korean antimicrobial resistance surveillance system, the resistance rates of many bacteria are increasing. The resistance rate of Acinetobacter baumannii to imipenem in Korea increased to 85% in 2015, representing a major public threat. The reports of increased carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae are worrisome. More importantly, some carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae may result from the production of carbapenemases, which break down carbapenems. There are relatively few treatment options for extensively drug-resistant A. baumannii and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Most reports are retrospective observational studies. Because there are little published data from randomized controlled trials, more data assessing antimicrobial treatment for extensively drug-resistant A. baumannii and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae are needed to make treatment recommendations.

Increasing Resistance to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins, Fluoroquinolone, and Carbapenem in Gram-Negative Bacilli and the Emergence of Carbapenem Non-Susceptibility in Klebsiella pneumoniae: Analysis of Korean Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (KARMS) Data From 2013 to 2015

Background

National surveillance of antimicrobial resistance becomes more important for the control of antimicrobial resistance and determination of treatment guidelines. We analyzed Korean Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (KARMS) data collected from 2013 to 2015.

Methods

Of the KARMS participants, 16 secondary or tertiary hospitals consecutively reported antimicrobial resistance rates from 2013 to 2015. Data from duplicate isolates and institutions with fewer than 20 isolates were excluded. To determine the long-term trends, previous KARMS data from 2004 to 2012 were also considered.

Results

The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium from 2013 to 2015 was 66–72% and 29–31%, respectively. The resistance rates of Escherichia coli to cefotaxime and cefepime gradually increased to 35% and 31%, respectively, and fluoroquinolone resistance reached 48% in 2015. The resistance rates of Klebsiella pneumoniae to cefotaxime, cefepime, and carbapenem were 38–41%, 33–41%, and <0.1–2%, respectively, from 2013 to 2015. The carbapenem susceptibility rates of E. coli and K. pneumoniae decreased from 100% and 99.3% in 2011 to 99.0% and 97.0% in 2015, respectively. The resistance rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to carbapenem increased to 35% and the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii increased from 77% in 2013 to 85% in 2015.

Conclusions

Between 2013 and 2015, the resistance rates of E. coli to third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins increased continuously, while carbapenem-susceptibility gradually decreased, particularly in K. pneumoniae. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii increased significantly; therefore, few treatment options remain for these resistant strains.

Molecular epidemiology of bla OXA-23 -producing carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a single institution over a 65-month period in north China

BACKGROUND

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii poses a significant threat to hospitalized patients, as few therapeutic options remain. Thus, we investigated the molecular epidemiology and mechanism of resistance of carbapenem-resistant A.baumannii isolates in Beijing, China.

METHODS

Carbapenem-resistant A.baumannii isolates (n = 101) obtained between June 2009 and November 2014 were used. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and PCR assays for class C and D β-lactamase were performed on all isolates. S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and Southern blot hybridization were performed to identify the resistance gene location.

RESULTS

All 101 A.baumannii isolates were highly resistant to frequently used antimicrobials, and were considered multidrug resistant. A total of 12 sequence types (STs) were identified, including 10 reported STs and 2 novel STs. Eighty-seven isolates were classified to clonal complex 92 (CC92), among which ST191 and ST195 were the most common STs. The bla _OXA-23 gene was positive in most (n = 95) of the A.baumannii isolates. Using S1-nuclease digestion PFGE and Southern blot hybridization, 3 patterns of plasmids carrying bla _OXA-23 were confirmed. ST191 and ST195 (both harboring bla _OXA-23 ) caused outbreaks during the study period, and this is the first report of outbreaks caused by ST191 and ST195 in north China.

CONCLUSION

bla _OXA-23 -producing A.baumannii ST191 and ST 195 isolates can disseminate in a hospital and are potential nosocomial outbreak strains. Surveillance of imipenem-resistant A.baumannii and antimicrobial stewardship should be strengthened.

Molecular Epidemiology and Clinical Impact of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii Complex in a Belgian Burn Wound Center

Multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and its closely related species A. pittii and A. nosocomialis, all members of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii (Acb) complex, are a major cause of hospital acquired infection. In the burn wound center of the Queen Astrid military hospital in Brussels, 48 patients were colonized or infected with Acb complex over a 52-month period. We report the molecular epidemiology of these organisms, their clinical impact and infection control measures taken. A representative set of 157 Acb complex isolates was analyzed using repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) (DiversiLab) and a multiplex PCR targeting OXA-51-like and OXA-23-like genes. We identified 31 rep-PCR genotypes (strains). Representatives of each rep-type were identified to species by rpoB sequence analysis: 13 types to A. baumannii, 10 to A. pittii, and 3 to A. nosocomialis. It was assumed that isolates that belonged to the same rep-type also belonged to the same species. Thus, 83.4% of all isolates were identified to A. baumannii, 9.6% to A. pittii and 4.5% to A. nosocomialis. We observed 12 extensively drug resistant Acb strains (10 A. baumannii and 2 A. nosocomialis), all carbapenem-non-susceptible/colistin-susceptible and imported into the burn wound center through patients injured in North Africa. The two most prevalent rep-types 12 and 13 harbored an OXA-23-like gene. Multilocus sequence typing allocated them to clonal complex 1 corresponding to EU (international) clone I. Both strains caused consecutive outbreaks, interspersed with periods of apparent eradication. Patients infected with carbapenem resistant A. baumannii were successfully treated with colistin/rifampicin. Extensive infection control measures were required to eradicate the organisms. Acinetobacter infection and colonization was not associated with increased attributable mortality.

Prevalence of Genes of OXA-23 Carbapenemase and AdeABC Efflux Pump Associated with Multidrug Resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates in the ICU of a Comprehensive Hospital of Northwestern China

The objective of this study was to explore the molecular epidemiology and the genetic support of clinical multidrug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) isolates in an ICU ward of a comprehensive hospital. A total of 102 non-duplicate drug-resistant A. baumannii isolates were identified and 93 (91.1%) of them were MDR strains. Molecular analysis demonstrated that carbapenemase genes bla_OXA-23 and bla_OXA-51 were presented in all 93 MDR isolates (100%), but other carbapenemase genes, including bla_OXA-24, bla_OXA-58, bla_IMP-1, bla_IMP-4, bla_SIM, and bla_VIM genes were completely absent in all isolates. In addition, genes of AdeABC efflux system were detected in 88.2% (90/102) isolates. Interestingly, an addition to efflux pump inhibitor, reserpine could significantly enhance the susceptibility of MDR isolates to moxifloxacin, cefotaxime, and imipenem (p < 0.01). Clonal relationship analysis further grouped these clinical drug-resistant isolates into nine clusters, and the MDR strains were mainly in clusters A, B, C, and D, which include 16, 13, 25, and 15 isolates, respectively. This study demonstrated that clinical isolates carrying carbapenemase-encoding genes bla_OXA-23 and AdeABC efflux pump genes are the main prevalent MDR A. baumannii, and the co-expression of oxacillinase and efflux pump proteins are thus considered to be the important reason for the prevalence of this organism in the ICU of this hospital.

Acinetobacter nosocomialis secretes outer membrane vesicles that induce epithelial cell death and host inflammatory responses

Acinetobacter nosocomialis is an important nosocomial pathogen that causes a variety of opportunistic infections; however, pathogenesis of this microorganism has not yet been characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the secretion of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) from A. nosocomialis and to determine their cytotoxic effects and their ability to induce inflammatory responses both in vitro and in vivo by using human epithelial HEp-2 cells and a mouse model, respectively. A. nosocomialis ATCC 17903(T) secreted spherical OMVs when cultured in vitro. Proteomic analysis revealed that 147 different proteins were associated with A. nosocomialis OMVs and virulence-associated proteins, such as outer membrane protein A (OmpA), CsuA, CsuC, CsuD, PilW, hemolysin, and serine protease, were identified. A. nosocomialis OMVs were cytotoxic to HEp-2 cells. These vesicles also induced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in the HEp-2 cells. Early inflammatory responses, such as congestion and focal neutrophilic infiltration, were observed in the lungs of mice injected with A. nosocomialis OMVs. In conclusion, A. nosocomialis OMVs are important secretory nanocomplexes that induce cytotoxicity of epithelial cells and host inflammatory responses, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of A. nosocomialis.