1
|
Spigaglia P, Mastrantonio P, Barbanti F. Antibiotic Resistances of Clostridioides difficile. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1435:169-198. [PMID: 38175476 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-42108-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance in Clostridioides difficile and the consequent effects on prevention and treatment of C. difficile infections (CDIs) are a matter of concern for public health. Antibiotic resistance plays an important role in driving C. difficile epidemiology. Emergence of new types is often associated with the emergence of new resistances, and most of the epidemic C. difficile clinical isolates is currently resistant to multiple antibiotics. In particular, it is to worth to note the recent identification of strains with reduced susceptibility to the first-line antibiotics for CDI treatment and/or for relapsing infections. Antibiotic resistance in C. difficile has a multifactorial nature. Acquisition of genetic elements and alterations of the antibiotic target sites, as well as other factors, such as variations in the metabolic pathways or biofilm production, contribute to the survival of this pathogen in the presence of antibiotics. Different transfer mechanisms facilitate the spread of mobile elements among C. difficile strains and between C. difficile and other species. Furthermore, data indicate that both genetic elements and alterations in the antibiotic targets can be maintained in C. difficile regardless of the burden imposed on fitness, and therefore resistances may persist in C. difficile population in absence of antibiotic selective pressure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Spigaglia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Paola Mastrantonio
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Barbanti
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kullin B, Abratt VR, Reid SJ, Riley TV. Clostridioides difficile infection in Africa: A narrative review. Anaerobe 2022; 74:102549. [PMID: 35337974 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI) places a burden on healthcare facilities worldwide. Most research studies have been concentrated in high-income countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, where C. difficile is the leading cause of diarrhoea associated with antimicrobial use. This narrative review summarises African CDI studies, focussing on reports published in the last 20 years. Although relatively sparse, the data suggest that CDI is an important cause of diarrhoea on the continent. African CDI patient populations are often younger than in European and North American settings, probably due to the high prevalence of co-morbid conditions such as tuberculosis, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Strain typing data are rare and where reported generally limited to single sites and institutions. Despite challenges, including a lack of facilities and awareness, there is a need for further investigation to more accurately determine the true burden of disease caused by C. difficile in Africa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Kullin
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Valerie R Abratt
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sharon J Reid
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thomas V Riley
- Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia WA, Australia; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia; Department of Microbiology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, WA, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Brajerova M, Zikova J, Krutova M. Clostridioides difficile epidemiology in the Middle and the Far East. Anaerobe 2022; 74:102542. [PMID: 35240336 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Clostridioides difficile is an important pathogen of healthcare-associated gastrointestinal infections. Recently, an increased number of C. difficile infection (CDI) surveillance data has been reported from Asia. The aim of this review is to summarize the data on the prevalence, distribution and molecular epidemiology of CDI in the Middle and the Far East. METHODS Literature was drawn from a search of PubMed up to September 30, 2021. RESULTS The meta-analysis of data from 111 studies revealed the pooled CDI prevalence rate in the Middle and the Far East of 12.4% (95% CI 11.4-13.3); 48 studies used PCR for CDI laboratory diagnoses. The predominant types (RT)/sequence type (ST) differ between individual countries (24 studies, 14 countries). Frequently found RTs were 001, 002, 012, 017, 018 and 126; RT017 was predominant in the Far East. The epidemic RT027 was detected in 8 countries (22 studies), but its predominance was reported only in three studies (Israel and Iran). The contamination of vegetable and meat or meat products and/or intestinal carriage of C. difficile in food and companion animals have been reported; the C. difficile RTs/STs identified overlapped with those identified in humans. CONCLUSIONS A large number of studies on CDI prevalence in humans from the Middle and the Far East have been published; countries with no available data were identified. The number of studies on C. difficile from non-human sources is limited. Comparative genomic studies of isolates from different sources are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Brajerova
- Department of Medical Microbiology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslava Zikova
- Department of Medical Microbiology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Czech Republic; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czech Republic
| | - Marcela Krutova
- Department of Medical Microbiology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu Y, Wang YY, Bai LL, Zhang WZ, Li GW, Lu JX. A narrative review of Clostridioides difficile infection in China. Anaerobe 2022; 74:102540. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
5
|
Wickramage I, Spigaglia P, Sun X. Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance of Clostridioides difficile. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 76:3077-3090. [PMID: 34297842 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkab231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile (CD) is one of the top five urgent antibiotic resistance threats in USA. There is a worldwide increase in MDR of CD, with emergence of novel strains which are often more virulent and MDR. Antibiotic resistance in CD is constantly evolving with acquisition of novel resistance mechanisms, which can be transferred between different species of bacteria and among different CD strains present in the clinical setting, community, and environment. Therefore, understanding the antibiotic resistance mechanisms of CD is important to guide optimal antibiotic stewardship policies and to identify novel therapeutic targets to combat CD as well as other bacteria. Epidemiology of CD is driven by the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Prevalence of different CD strains and their characteristic resistomes show distinct global geographical patterns. Understanding epidemiologically driven and strain-specific characteristics of antibiotic resistance is important for effective epidemiological surveillance of antibiotic resistance and to curb the inter-strain and -species spread of the CD resistome. CD has developed resistance to antibiotics with diverse mechanisms such as drug alteration, modification of the antibiotic target site and extrusion of drugs via efflux pumps. In this review, we summarized the most recent advancements in the understanding of mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in CD and analysed the antibiotic resistance factors present in genomes of a few representative well known, epidemic and MDR CD strains found predominantly in different regions of the world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Wickramage
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Down Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Patrizia Spigaglia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Xingmin Sun
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Down Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sholeh M, Krutova M, Forouzesh M, Mironov S, Sadeghifard N, Molaeipour L, Maleki A, Kouhsari E. Antimicrobial resistance in Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile derived from humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2020; 9:158. [PMID: 32977835 PMCID: PMC7517813 DOI: 10.1186/s13756-020-00815-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile is an important pathogen of healthcare- associated diarrhea, however, an increase in the occurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI) outside hospital settings has been reported. The accumulation of antimicrobial resistance in C. difficile can increase the risk of CDI development and/or its spread. The limited number of antimicrobials for the treatment of CDI is matter of some concern. Objectives In order to summarize the data on antimicrobial resistance to C. difficile derived from humans, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. Methods We searched five bibliographic databases: (MEDLINE [PubMed], Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science) for studies that focused on antimicrobial susceptibility testing in C. difficile and were published between 1992 and 2019. The weighted pooled resistance (WPR) for each antimicrobial agent was calculated using a random- effects model. Results A total of 111 studies were included. The WPR for metronidazole and vancomycin was 1.0% (95% CI 0–3%) and 1% (95% CI 0–2%) for the breakpoint > 2 mg/L and 0% (95% CI 0%) for breakpoint ≥32 μg/ml. Rifampin and tigecycline had a WPRs of 37.0% (95% CI 18–58%) and 1% (95% CI 0–3%), respectively. The WPRs for the other antimicrobials were as follows: ciprofloxacin 95% (95% CI 85–100%), moxifloxacin 32% (95% CI 25–40%), clindamycin 59% (95% CI 53–65%), amoxicillin/clavulanate 0% (0–0%), piperacillin/tazobactam 0% (0–0%) and ceftriaxone 47% (95% CI 29–65%). Tetracycline had a WPR 20% (95% CI 14–27%) and meropenem showed 0% (95% CI 0–1%); resistance to fidaxomicin was reported in one isolate (0.08%). Conclusion Resistance to metronidazole, vancomycin, fidaxomicin, meropenem and piperacillin/tazobactam is reported rarely. From the alternative CDI drug treatments, tigecycline had a lower resistance rate than rifampin. The high-risk antimicrobials for CDI development showed a high level of resistance, the highest was seen in the second generation of fluoroquinolones and clindamycin; amoxicillin/clavulanate showed almost no resistance. Tetracycline resistance was present in one fifth of human clinical C. difficile isolates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sholeh
- Dept. of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marcela Krutova
- Dept. of Medical Microbiology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mehdi Forouzesh
- Assistant professor of Legal medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine organization, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sergey Mironov
- Department of propaedeutics of dental diseases, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Nourkhoda Sadeghifard
- Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Leila Molaeipour
- Dept. of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Maleki
- Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Kouhsari
- Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. .,Laboratory Sciences Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. .,Student Research Committee, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Martínez-Meléndez A, Morfin-Otero R, Villarreal-Treviño L, Baines SD, Camacho-Ortíz A, Garza-González E. Molecular epidemiology of predominant and emerging Clostridioides difficile ribotypes. J Microbiol Methods 2020; 175:105974. [PMID: 32531232 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2020.105974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
There has been an increase in the incidence and severity of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) worldwide, and strategies to control, monitor, and diminish the associated morbidity and mortality have been developed. Several typing methods have been used for typing of isolates and studying the epidemiology of CDI; serotyping was the first typing method, but then was replaced by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PCR ribotyping is now the gold standard method; however, multi locus sequence typing (MLST) schemes have been developed. New sequencing technologies have allowed comparing whole bacterial genomes to address genetic relatedness with a high level of resolution and discriminatory power to distinguish between closely related strains. Here, we review the most frequent C. difficile ribotypes reported worldwide, with a focus on their epidemiology and genetic characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Martínez-Meléndez
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Pedro de Alba S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 66450 San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Rayo Morfin-Otero
- Hospital Civil de Guadalajara "Fray Antonio Alcalde" e Instituto de Patología Infecciosa y Experimental, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara. Sierra Mojada 950, Col. Independencia, CP 44350 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Licet Villarreal-Treviño
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Pedro de Alba S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 66450 San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Simon D Baines
- University of Hertfordshire, School of Life and Medical Sciences, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Adrián Camacho-Ortíz
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Servicio de Infectología. Av. Francisco I. Madero Pte. S/N y Av. José E. González. Col. Mitras Centro, CP 64460 Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Elvira Garza-González
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Servicio de Infectología. Av. Francisco I. Madero Pte. S/N y Av. José E. González. Col. Mitras Centro, CP 64460 Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Cheng JW, Liu C, Kudinha T, Xiao M, Fan X, Yang CX, Wei M, Liang GW, Shao DH, Xiong ZJ, Hou X, Yu SY, Wang Y, Yang QW, Su JR, Xu YC. The tcdA-negative and tcdB-positive Clostridium difficile ST81 clone exhibits a high level of resistance to fluoroquinolones: a multi-centre study in Beijing, China. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2020; 56:105981. [PMID: 32330584 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea worldwide. In order to gain a better understanding about the molecular epidemiology of C. difficile in Beijing, China, molecular typing, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and drug resistance gene sequencing were performed on 174 strains of C. difficile collected from four large tertiary hospitals in Beijing. In total, 31 sequence types (STs) were identified among the 174 strains. ST81 was found to be the most prevalent (26.4%, 46/174), followed by ST2 (16.7%, 29/174) and ST54 (9.8%, 17/174). All isolates were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin. The test strains displayed resistance rates of 97.1%, 44.3% and 44.3% for ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, respectively. ST81 isolates displayed a drug resistance rate of 97.8% for levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, which was significantly higher than ST2 (0%), ST54 (17.6%) and ST42 (0%) isolates (P<0.05). An amino acid mutation (T82I) was identified in GyrA, and the total mutation rate of the C. difficile strains was 40.8% (71/174). The mutation rate of ST81 isolates was 95.7% (44/46). Three amino acid mutations (D426N, S366A and D426V) were identified in GyrB, and the total mutation rate of GyrB was 39.1%. A double-site mutation in GyrB (S366A+D426V) was identified in all ST81 (n=46) isolates. In conclusion, the C. difficile ST81 clone showed a high level of resistance to fluoroquinolones in Beijing, highlighting the need for nationwide surveillance of CDI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Wei Cheng
- Centre of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Huaxin Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Timothy Kudinha
- Charles Sturt University, Leeds Parade, Orange, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Meng Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Fan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chun-Xia Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Wei
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Wei Liang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Hua Shao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhu-Jia Xiong
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Hou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shu-Ying Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi-Wen Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Rong Su
- Centre of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Ying-Chun Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Saber T, Hawash YA, Ismail KA, Khalifa AS, Alsharif KF, Alghamdi SA, Saber T, Eed EM. Prevalence, toxin gene profile, genotypes and antibiotic susceptibility of Clostridium difficile in a tertiary care hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Indian J Med Microbiol 2020; 38:176-182. [PMID: 32883931 DOI: 10.4103/ijmm.ijmm_20_300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is an important causative agent of nosocomial diarrhoea and has become a major worldwide public health concern. The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of C. difficile infection (CDI) amongst patients with nosocomial diarrhoea in a large tertiary care hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia, and to define molecular characteristics and antimicrobial sensitivity profiles of C. difficile strains isolated from those patients. Materials and Methods Stool specimens were collected from 456 patients and were cultured for C. difficile isolation. The isolates were subjected to multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detecting genes encoding the toxins (toxin A, toxin B and binary toxin [CDT]), genotyping by PCR ribotyping method and antimicrobial sensitivity testing using E test strips. Results Seventy-four C. difficile strains were recovered, of which 44 (59.5%) were A+B+CDT-, 14 (18.9%) were A-B+CDT-, 4 (5.4%) were A+B+CDT+ and 12 (16.2%) were A-B-CDT-. Toxigenic strains, and hence CDI, were detected in 13.6% of the patients (62/456). Fourteen different ribotypes were distinguished amongst bacterial isolates, of which ribotypes 002, 001, 017, 014 and 020 were the most prevalent (20.3%, 18.9%, 18.9%, 9.5% and 8.1%, respectively). Four isolates (5.4%) belonged to ribotype 027. All bacterial isolates showed sensitivity to metronidazole, vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam. The isolates exhibited resistance to linezolid (2.7%), chloramphenicol (5.4%), rifampicin (13.5%), tetracycline (21.6%), moxifloxacin (48.6%), clindamycin (54%) and imipenem (83.8%). Multiple drug resistance was observed in 56.8% of the isolates. Conclusion Further larger studies are required for an accurate understanding of CDI epidemiology in Saudi Arabia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taisir Saber
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Yousry A Hawash
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia; Department of Molecular and Clinical Parasitology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Khadiga A Ismail
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amany S Khalifa
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia; Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Khalaf F Alsharif
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A Alghamdi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tamer Saber
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Emad M Eed
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Longitudinal investigation of carriage rates and genotypes of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in hepatic cirrhosis patients. Epidemiol Infect 2020; 147:e166. [PMID: 31063095 PMCID: PMC6518478 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268819000554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxigenic Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) carriers represent an important source in the transmission of C. difficile infection (CDI) during hospitalisation, but its prevalence and mode in patients with hepatic cirrhosis are not well established. We investigated longitudinal changes in carriage rates and strain types of toxigenic C. difficile from admission to discharge among hepatic cirrhosis patients. Toxigenic C. difficile was detected in 104 (19.8%) of 526 hepatic cirrhosis patients on admission, and the carriage status changed in a portion of patients during hospitalisation. Approximately 56% (58/104) of patients lost the colonisation during their hospital stay. Among the remaining 48 patients who remained positive for toxigenic C. difficile, the numbers of patients who were positive at one, two, three and four isolations were 10 (55.6%), three (16.7%), two (11.1%) and three (16.7%), respectively. Twenty-eight patients retained a particular monophyletic strain at multiple isolations. The genotype most frequently identified was the same as that frequently identified in symptomatic CDI patients. A total of 25% (26/104) of patients were diagnosed with CDI during their hospital stay. Conclusions: Colonisation with toxigenic C. difficile strains occurs frequently in cirrhosis patients and is a risk factor for CDI.
Collapse
|
11
|
Imwattana K, Knight DR, Kullin B, Collins DA, Putsathit P, Kiratisin P, Riley TV. Antimicrobial resistance in Clostridium difficile ribotype 017. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2019; 18:17-25. [PMID: 31800331 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2020.1701436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) played an important role in the initial outbreaks of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the 1970s. C. difficile ribotype (RT) 017 has emerged as the major strain of C. difficile in Asia, where antimicrobial use is poorly regulated. This strain has also caused CDI outbreaks around the world for almost 30 years. Many of these outbreaks were associated with clindamycin and fluoroquinolone resistance. AMR and selective pressure is likely to be responsible for the success of this RT and may drive future outbreaks.Areas covered: This narrative review summarizes the prevalence and mechanisms of AMR in C. difficile RT 017 and transmission of these AMR mechanisms. To address these topics, reports of outbreaks due to C. difficile RT 017, epidemiologic studies with antimicrobial susceptibility results, studies on resistance mechanisms found in C. difficile and related publications available through Pubmed until September 2019 were collated and the findings discussed.Expert opinion: Primary prevention is the key to control CDI. This should be achieved by developing antimicrobial stewardship in medical, veterinary and agricultural practices. AMR is the key factor that drives CDI outbreaks, and methods for the early detection of AMR can facilitate the control of outbreaks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Korakrit Imwattana
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.,Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Daniel R Knight
- Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia
| | - Brian Kullin
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Deirdre A Collins
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
| | - Papanin Putsathit
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
| | - Pattarachai Kiratisin
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thomas V Riley
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.,Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia.,School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.,PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Antibiotic resistance of clinical isolates of Clostridioides difficile in China and its association with geographical regions and patient age. Anaerobe 2019; 60:102094. [PMID: 31499177 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2019.102094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It is known that antibiotic usage is associated with the development of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), especially clindamycin, third-generation cephalosporins, and fuoroquinolones. Antibiotic resistance rates to many antibiotics varies a lot by study. We performed a study focused on antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates of C. difficile from more widespread geographic regions across China. Of 319 C. difficile isolates tested against 11 antibiotics, 313 (98.1%) were resistant to at least one antibiotic. The highest rate of resistance was to ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, and erythromycin across all age groups, similar to previous studies. However, all isolates were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin. Overall the resistance rate to tested antibiotics was lower than other reports in China except for chloramphenicol and meropenem. Genotype ST37/RT017 in clade 4 was resistant to more antibiotics than other types. Unexpectedly, RT078 isolates in this study were susceptible to almost all tested antibiotics. In addition, the proportion of multi-drug resistant (MDR) isolates observed (17%) in this study was much lower than several European studies (up to 55%) and a previous study in China (78%). Although isolates from patients aged between 65 and 85 were more resistant to antibiotics in comparison to other age groups, MDR isolates were still detected in children below 2-years of age. The highest percentage of MDR isolates was determined in South China, an area that is most developed economically. The clade 4, RT017 (ST37) has been associated with outbreaks in Europe and North America and is responsible for most C. difficile infections (CDIs) in Asia. In addition, RT017 is often clindamycin and fluoroquinolone resistant. This study provided a relatively comprehensive description of antibiotic resistance of C. difficile in China, and further elucidates the epidemiology and antibiotic resistance of clinical isolates of C. difficile in China at a national level.
Collapse
|
13
|
Lv T, Chen Y, Guo L, Xu Q, Gu S, Shen P, Quan J, Fang Y, Chen L, Gui Q, Ye G, Li L. Whole genome analysis reveals new insights into the molecular characteristics of Clostridioides difficile NAP1/BI/027/ST1 clinical isolates in the People's Republic of China. Infect Drug Resist 2019; 12:1783-1794. [PMID: 31308704 PMCID: PMC6613002 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s203238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The epidemic new strain NAP1/BI/027/ST-1 of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) causes more severe coliti and a higher mortality rate than historical strains. However, C. difficile NAP1/BI/027/ST-1 (C. difficile RT027) infections have been rarely reported in Asia, particularly in China. Purpose: The objective of this study was to strengthen the understanding of the molecular characterizations of C. difficile RT027 in China. Patients and methods: Two C. difficile NAP1/BI/027/ST-1 were detected from two patients, and no additional isolates were found. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used to characterize two C. difficile RT027 isolates and control strain CD6 (from Hong Kong), and comparative genomic analysis was performed to compare genomic differences between seven isolates from Mainland China, CD6, and 10 isolates from North America and Europe. Results: The comparative genomic analysis revealed that isolates obtained from Mainlan China were outside of the two epidemic lineages, FQR1 and FQR2, and might have decreased virulence and transmissibility for outbreak. Furthermore, unique SNP mutations were detected in isolates obtained from Mainland China, which may affect the biological function of C. difficile. Conclusion: We speculate that C. difficile RT027 isolates in Mainland China may have different features, compared to those in North America and Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tao Lv
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunbo Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihua Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaomai Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Silan Gu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Shen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiazheng Quan
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunhui Fang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Lifeng Chen
- Medical Engineering Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaodi Gui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangyong Ye
- Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Lanjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Independent Microevolution Mediated by Mobile Genetic Elements of Individual Clostridium difficile Isolates from Clade 4 Revealed by Whole-Genome Sequencing. mSystems 2019; 4:mSystems00252-18. [PMID: 30944881 PMCID: PMC6435816 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00252-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements play a key role in the continuing evolution of Clostridium difficile, resulting in the emergence of new phenotypes for individual isolates. On the basis of whole-genome sequencing analysis, we comprehensively explored transposons, CRISPR, prophage, and genetic sites for drug resistance within clade 4 C. difficile isolates with different sequence types. Great diversity in MGEs and a high rate of multidrug resistance were found within this clade, including new transposons, Tn4453a/b with aac(6′) aph(2′′) instead of catD, and a relatively high rate of prophage-carried CRISPR arrays. These findings provide important new insights into the mechanism of genome remodeling within clade 4 and offer a new method for typing and tracing the origins of closely related isolates. Horizontal gene transfer of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) accounts for the mosaic genome of Clostridium difficile, leading to acquisition of new phenotypes, including drug resistance and reconstruction of the genomes. MGEs were analyzed according to the whole-genome sequences of 37 C. difficile isolates with a variety of sequence types (STs) within clade 4 from China. Great diversity was found in each transposon even within isolates with the same ST. Two novel transposons were identified in isolates ZR9 and ZR18, of which approximately one third to half of the genes showed heterogenous origins compared with the usual intestinal bacterial genes. Most importantly, catD, known to be harbored by Tn4453a/b, was replaced by aac(6′) aph(2′′) in isolates 2, 7, and 28. This phenomenon illustrated the frequent occurrence of gene exchanges between C. difficile and other enterobacteria with individual heterogeneity. Numerous prophages and CRISPR arrays were identified in C. difficile isolates of clade 4. Approximately 20% of spacers were located in prophage-carried CRISPR arrays, providing a new method for typing and tracing the origins of closely related isolates, as well as in-depth studies of the mechanism underlying genome remodeling. The rates of drug resistance were obviously higher than those reported previously around the world, although all isolates retained high sensitivity to vancomycin and metronidazole. The increasing number of C. difficile isolates resistant to all antibiotics tested here suggests the ease with which resistance is acquired in vivo. This study gives insights into the genetic mechanism of microevolution within clade 4. IMPORTANCE Mobile genetic elements play a key role in the continuing evolution of Clostridium difficile, resulting in the emergence of new phenotypes for individual isolates. On the basis of whole-genome sequencing analysis, we comprehensively explored transposons, CRISPR, prophage, and genetic sites for drug resistance within clade 4 C. difficile isolates with different sequence types. Great diversity in MGEs and a high rate of multidrug resistance were found within this clade, including new transposons, Tn4453a/b with aac(6′) aph(2′′) instead of catD, and a relatively high rate of prophage-carried CRISPR arrays. These findings provide important new insights into the mechanism of genome remodeling within clade 4 and offer a new method for typing and tracing the origins of closely related isolates.
Collapse
|
15
|
Imwattana K, Wangroongsarb P, Riley TV. High prevalence and diversity of tcdA-negative and tcdB-positive, and non-toxigenic, Clostridium difficile in Thailand. Anaerobe 2019; 57:4-10. [PMID: 30862468 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Studies on the prevalence and diversity of Clostridium difficile in Thailand have been limited to those derived from a few tertiary hospitals in Central Thailand. In this study, 145 C. difficile isolates collected in 13 provinces in Thailand during 2006-2018 were characterized by ribotyping and detection of toxin genes. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of eight antimicrobial agents were determined also for all 100 C. difficile strains collected from 2006 until 2015. Of the 145 strains of C. difficile, 71 (49%) were non-toxigenic, 46 (32%) were toxin A-negative, toxin B-positive (A-B+) and 28 (19%) were A+B+. No binary toxin-positive strain was found. The most common ribotype (RT) was RT 017 (A-B+CDT-, 19%, 28/145). Besides RT 017, 20 novel non-toxigenic and A-B+ ribotyping profiles, which may be related to RT 017 by the similarity of ribotyping profile, were identified. All C. difficile strains remained susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin, however, a slight increase in MIC for metronidazole was seen in both toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains (overall MIC50/90 0.25/0.25 mg/L during 2006-2010 compared to overall MIC50/90 1.0/2.0 mg/L during 2011-2015). There was a high rate of fluoroquinolone resistance among RT 017 strains (77%), but there was little resistance among non-toxigenic strains. These results suggest that RT 017 is endemic in Thailand, and that the misuse of fluoroquinolones may lead to outbreaks of RT 017 infection in this country. Further studies on non-toxigenic C. difficile are needed to understand whether they have a role in the pathogenesis of C. difficile infection in Asia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Korakrit Imwattana
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Piyada Wangroongsarb
- The National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, 11000, Thailand
| | - Thomas V Riley
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Western Australia, 6150, Australia; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, 6027, Australia; Department of Microbiology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Zhou Y, Mao L, Yu J, Lin Q, Luo Y, Zhu X, Sun Z. Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalized adults and the first isolation of C. difficile PCR ribotype 027 in central China. BMC Infect Dis 2019; 19:232. [PMID: 30845918 PMCID: PMC6407249 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-019-3841-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is an emerging healthcare problem in the world. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic epidemiological research of CDI in Tongji hospital, the central of China. Methods Stool samples from hospitalized adults suspected of CDI were enrolled. The diagnosis of CDI were based on the combination of clinical symptoms and laboratory results. Clinical features of CDI and non-CDI patients were compared by appropriate statistical tests to determine the risk factors of CDI. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was employed for molecular epidemiological analysis. Susceptibility testing and relevant antimicrobial agent resistance genes were performed as well. Results From June 2016 to September 2017, 839 hospitalized adults were enrolled. Among them, 107 (12.8%, 107/839) patients were C. difficile culture positive, and 73 (8.7%, 73/839) were infected with toxigenic C. difficile (TCD), with tcdA + tcdB+ strains accounting for 90.4% (66/73) and tcdA-tcdB+ for 9.6% (7/73). Meanwhile, two TCD strains were binary toxin positive and one of them was finally identified as CD027. Severe symptoms were observed in these two cases. Multivariate analysis indicated antibiotic exposure (p = 0.001, OR = 5.035) and kidney disease (p = 0.015, OR = 8.329) significantly increased the risk of CDI. Phylogenetic tree analysis demonstrated 21 different STs, including one new ST (ST467); and the most dominant type was ST54 (35.6%, 26/73). Multidrug-resistant (MDR) TCD were 53.4% (39/73); resistance to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and clindamycin were > 50%. Other antibiotics showed relative efficiency and all strains were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin. All moxifloxacin-resistant isolates carried a mutation in GyrA (Thr82 → Ile), with one both having mutation in GyrB (Ser366 → Ala). Conclusions Knowledge of epidemiological information for CDI is limited in China. Our finding indicated tcdA + tcdB+ C. difficile strains were the dominant for CDI in our hospital. Significant risk factors for CDI in our setting appeared to be antibiotic exposure and kidney disease. Metronidazole and vancomycin were still effective for CDI. Although no outbreak was observed, the first isolation of CD027 in center China implied the potential spread of this hypervirulent clone. Further studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the epidemiology of CDI in China. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12879-019-3841-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, 310014, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liyan Mao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jing Yu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qun Lin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ying Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xuhui Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Ziyong Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Clostridium difficile-associated Diarrhea in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Infect Dis Ther 2019; 8:87-103. [PMID: 30659481 PMCID: PMC6374231 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-019-0231-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection is rapidly increasing worldwide, but prevalence is difficult to estimate in developing countries where awareness, diagnostic resources, and surveillance protocols are limited. As diarrhea is the hallmark symptom, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prevalence and incidence of C. difficile infection in patients in these regions who presented with diarrhea. Methods We conducted a systematic literature search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Latin-American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases to identify and analyze data from recent studies providing prevalence or incidence rates of C. difficile-associated diarrhea in developing countries within four regions: Africa–Middle East, developing Asia, Latin America, and China. Our objectives were to determine the current prevalence and incidence density rates of first episodes of C. difficile-associated diarrhea in developing countries. Results Within the regions included in our analysis, prevalence of C. difficile infection in patients with diarrhea was 15% (95% CI 13–17%) (including community and hospitalized patients), with no significant difference across regions. The incidence of C. difficile infection in 17 studies including this information was 8.5 per 10,000 patient-days (95% CI 5.83–12.46). Prevalence was significantly higher in hospitalized patients versus community patients (p = 0.0227). Conclusion Our prevalence estimate of 15% is concerning; however, low awareness and inconsistent diagnostic and surveillance protocols suggest this is markedly underestimated. Enhanced awareness and management of C. difficile infection in patients with diarrhea, along with improvements in infection control and surveillance practices, should be implemented to reduce prevalence of C. difficile-associated diarrhea in developing countries. Funding Pfizer Inc. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40121-019-0231-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
|
18
|
Clostridium difficile in Asia: Opportunities for One Health Management. Trop Med Infect Dis 2018; 4:tropicalmed4010007. [PMID: 30597880 PMCID: PMC6473466 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed4010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is a ubiquitous spore-forming bacterium which causes toxin-mediated diarrhoea and colitis in people whose gut microflora has been depleted by antimicrobial use, so it is a predominantly healthcare-associated disease. However, there are many One Health implications to C. difficile, given high colonisation rates in food production animals, contamination of outdoor environments by use of contaminated animal manure, increasing incidence of community-associated C. difficile infection (CDI), and demonstration of clonal groups of C. difficile shared between human clinical cases and food animals. In Asia, the epidemiology of CDI is not well understood given poor testing practices in many countries. The growing middle-class populations of Asia are presenting increasing demands for meat, thus production farming, particularly of pigs, chicken and cattle, is rapidly expanding in Asian countries. Few reports on C. difficile colonisation among production animals in Asia exist, but those that do show high prevalence rates, and possible importation of European strains of C. difficile like ribotype 078. This review summarises our current understanding of the One Health aspects of the epidemiology of CDI in Asia.
Collapse
|
19
|
Liu XS, Li WG, Zhang WZ, Wu Y, Lu JX. Molecular Characterization of Clostridium difficile Isolates in China From 2010 to 2015. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:845. [PMID: 29760687 PMCID: PMC5936795 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has become a worldwide public health problem causing high mortality and a large disease burden. Molecular typing and analysis is important for surveillance and infection control of CDI. However, molecular characterization of C. difficile across China is extremely rare. Here, we report on the toxin profiles, molecular subtyping with multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and PCR ribotyping, and epidemiological characteristics of 199 C. difficile isolates collected between 2010 through 2015 from 13 participating centers across China. We identified 35 STs and 27 ribotypes (RTs) among the 199 C. difficile isolates: ST35 (15.58%), ST3 (15.08%), ST37 (12.06%), and RT017 (14.07%), RT001 (12.06%), RT012 (11.56%) are the most prevalent. One isolate with ST1 and 8 isolates with ST 11 were identified. We identified a new ST in this study, denoted ST332. The toxin profile tcdA+tcdB+tcdC+tcdR+tcdE+CDT- (65.83%) was the predominant profile. Furthermore, 11 isolates with positive binary toxin genes were discovered. According to the PCR ribotyping, one isolate with RT 027, and 6 isolates with RT 078 were confirmed. The epidemiological characteristics of C. difficile in China shows geographical differences, and both the toxin profile and molecular types exhibit great diversity across the different areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Shu Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Ge Li
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Zhu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Xing Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Identification and Characterization of Clostridium difficile Sequence Type 37 Genotype by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization -Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. J Clin Microbiol 2018; 56:JCM.01990-17. [PMID: 29467194 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01990-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile multilocus sequence type 37 (ST37), which mainly corresponds to ribotype 017, has been a dominant genotype circulating in China. In this study, we report the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to analyze and characterize 204 C. difficile clinical isolates, including 49 ST37 and 155 non-ST37 isolates collected in China and other countries. The distributions of two major protein peaks (m/z 3,242 and 3,286) were significantly different between ST37 and non-ST37 prototype strains and clinical isolates. This difference was reproducible when analysis was performed on different colonies in different runs. This finding was repeated and confirmed by both bioMérieux Vitek MS and Bruker Microflex LT systems on isolates recovered from a variety of geographic regions worldwide. The combination of the two peaks was present in 47 of 49 ST37 isolates, resulting in a sensitivity of 95.9%. In contrast, the peak combination was absent in 153 of 155 non-ST37 isolates, resulting in a specificity of 98.7%. Our results suggest that MALDI-TOF MS is a rapid and reliable tool to identify C. difficile genotype ST37. Work is in progress to characterize the two molecules having peaks at m/z 3,242 and 3,286, which appear to be specific to C. difficile genotype ST37.
Collapse
|
21
|
Luo Y, Zhang W, Cheng JW, Xiao M, Sun GR, Guo CJ, Liu MJ, Cong PS, Kudinha T. Molecular epidemiology of Clostridium difficile in two tertiary care hospitals in Shandong Province, China. Infect Drug Resist 2018; 11:489-500. [PMID: 29670381 PMCID: PMC5896643 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s152724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The incidence and severity of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) have markedly increased over the past decade. However, there is very limited epidemiological data on CDI in China so far, specifically no data in Shandong Province. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic algorithm for CDI and to gain data on molecular epidemiology of CDI in the Shandong Province of China. Materials and methods Nonrepetitive unformed fecal specimens (n=504) were investigated by the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), C. difficile toxin A&B (CDAB) tests and toxigenic culture. Furthermore, 85 isolates were characterized by toxin gene detection, multilocus sequence typing, ribotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results The algorithm of combining GDH and CDAB tests could define diagnosis of 54.2% CDI cases and excluded 90% of non-CDI. Further adding the toxigenic culture to the algorithm enhanced the detection sensitivity to 100%. Toxigenic strains comprised 84.7% of isolates, including A+B+CDT− (71.8%, 61/85), A−B+CDT− (11.8%, 10/85) and A+B+CDT+ (1.2%, 1/85) isolates. RT046/ST35 (13.9%, 10/72), RT014/ST2 (12.5%, 9/72) and RT017/ST37 (12.5%, 9/72) were the more common genotypes among toxigenic C. difficile strains. The clinical severity score of A−B+CDT− toxin genes genotype (3.50±0.85) was significantly higher than the A+B+CDT− type (2.59±0.93) (P<0.05). RT046/ST35 isolates were highly prevalent and had high clinical severity scores (3.80±0.92). Variations in resistance from different sequence types (STs) were observed. Toxigenic strains showed higher resistance rates to erythromycin, clindamycin and ciprofloxacin compared to nontoxigenic strains (P<0.05). Conclusion The epidemiology of C. difficile in Shandong Province differed from other regions in China. Comprehensive optimized diagnosis strategy and continuous surveillance should be established and applied in order to curb the spread of toxigenic C. difficile strains, especially for hospitalized patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Luo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, China
| | - Jing-Wei Cheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gui-Rong Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Cheng-Jie Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, China
| | - Ming-Jun Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Pei-Shan Cong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Timothy Kudinha
- Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia.,Central West Pathology Laboratory, Orange, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Antibiotic Resistances of Clostridium difficile. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1050:137-159. [PMID: 29383668 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-72799-8_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance in Clostridium difficile and the consequent effects on prevention and treatment of C. difficile infections (CDIs) are matter of concern for public health. Antibiotic resistance plays an important role in driving C. difficile epidemiology. Emergence of new types is often associated with the emergence of new resistances and most of epidemic C. difficile clinical isolates is currently resistant to multiple antibiotics. In particular, it is to worth to note the recent identification of strains with reduced susceptibility to the first-line antibiotics for CDI treatment and/or for relapsing infections. Antibiotic resistance in C. difficile has a multifactorial nature. Acquisition of genetic elements and alterations of the antibiotic target sites, as well as other factors, such as variations in the metabolic pathways and biofilm production, contribute to the survival of this pathogen in the presence of antibiotics. Different transfer mechanisms facilitate the spread of mobile elements among C. difficile strains and between C. difficile and other species. Furthermore, recent data indicate that both genetic elements and alterations in the antibiotic targets can be maintained in C. difficile regardless of the burden imposed on fitness, and therefore resistances may persist in C. difficile population in absence of antibiotic selective pressure.
Collapse
|
23
|
Chen YB, Gu SL, Shen P, Lv T, Fang YH, Tang LL, Li LJ. Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium difficile isolated from hospitals during a 4-year period in China. J Med Microbiol 2017; 67:52-59. [PMID: 29160203 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to perform molecular characterization for and determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Clostridium difficile collected from hospitals during a 4-year period (2009-2013) in China. METHODS Strains of toxigenic C. difficile were isolated from patients with diarrhoea, and this was followed by typing using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and testing for susceptibility to 10 antimicrobials by using the E-test. The mechanisms of resistance to moxifloxacin, erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline were investigated by PCR. RESULTS A total of 405 non-duplicate toxigenic C. difficile isolates were identified, while 31 sequence types (STs) were identified. A predominant type, ST-54, accounted for 20.2 % of the STs, followed by ST-35 (16.3 %) and ST-37 (13.6 %). We found that 6.2 % of the isolates were binary toxin genes-positive, and 83.7 % of these belonged to ST-5. All of the isolates demonstrated 100 % susceptibility to first-line Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) therapies (i.e. metronidazole and vancomycin), while the resistance rates varied for the other antibiotics tested. Two hundred and ninety three (72.3 %) isolates were susceptible to moxifloxacin. All 112 moxifloxacin-resistant isolates had mutations resulting in an amino acid substitution in gryA and/or gyrB. The ermB gene was detected in 86.7 % (241/278) of the erythromycin- and clindamycin-resistant isolates, while the tetM gene was present in 97.1 % (85/87) of the tetracycline-resistant isolates. CONCLUSION MLST typing revealed a wide variety of STs causing CDI, while ST-54 was the most common ST. All of the isolates were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin, while the resistance rates varied for the other antibiotics tested. There were no changes in the trends for the STs and antibiotic susceptibility profiles over 4 years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Bo Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Si-Lan Gu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Ping Shen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Tao Lv
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Yun-Hui Fang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Ling-Ling Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, PR China.,Hospital Infection-Control Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Lan-Juan Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, PR China.,State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yang J, Zhang X, Liu X, Cai L, Feng P, Wang X, Zong Z. Antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium difficile isolates from ICU colonized patients revealed alert to ST-37 (RT 017) isolates. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 89:161-163. [PMID: 28800896 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2017.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Seventy Clostridium difficile isolates from ICU colonized patients were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and screened for resistance determinants. We found that multilocus sequence type 37 (ribotype 017) toxin A-negative/B-positive isolates were more likely resistant to moxifloxacin than toxin A-positive/B-positive isolates (41.7% versus 9.3%) with major variations in both GyrA (Thr82Ile) and GyrB (Ser366Ala), suggesting that the use of quinolone should be more strictly regulated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingyu Yang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohua Liu
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Xindu District Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Cai
- Intensive Care Unit, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ping Feng
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China.
| | - Zhiyong Zong
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Division of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China; Department of Infection Control, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Cheng JW, Yang QW, Xiao M, Yu SY, Zhou ML, Kudinha T, Kong F, Liao JW, Xu YC. High in vitro activity of fidaxomicin against Clostridium difficile isolates from a university teaching hospital in China. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2017; 51:411-416. [PMID: 28693926 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2017.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in both the acute care setting and the wider healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of fidaxomicin against C. difficile isolates from a university teaching hospital in China. METHODS One hundred and one C. difficile isolates were collected and analyzed for toxin genes by multiplex PCR. The toxin gene positive strains were also typed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and PCR-ribotyping. The MICs of the isolates were determined against fidaxomicin, metronidazole, vancomycin, tigecycline and moxifloxacin, by the agar dilution method. RESULTS All the 101 isolates exhibited low MICs to fidaxomicin (0.032-1 mg/L), metronidazole (0.125-1 mg/L), vancomycin (0.25-2 mg/L) and tigecycline (0.016-0.5 mg/L). Tigecycline showed the lowest geometric mean MIC value (0.041 mg/L), followed by fidaxomicin (0.227 mg/L), metronidazole (0.345 mg/L), and vancomycin (0.579 mg/L). About 35% of the strains (n = 35) were resistant to moxifloxacin, and the resistance rate to moxifloxacin for A-B+CDT- isolates (85.0%) was much higher than that of A+B+CDT- (15.7%) and A-B-CDT- (29.2%) isolates (P < 0.001). The MIC values of fidaxomicin, metronidazole, vancomycin and moxifloxacin against the 3 ST1 isolates were higher than for other STs. All the 28 moxifloxacin-resistant toxigenic isolates carried a mutation either in gyrA or/and gyrB. CONCLUSION Fidaxomicin exhibited high antimicrobial activity against all C. difficile isolates tested, which shows promise as a new drug for treating Chinese CDI patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Wei Cheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi-Wen Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Meng Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shu-Ying Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meng-Lan Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Timothy Kudinha
- The Charles Sturt University, Leeds Parade, Orange, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fanrong Kong
- The Charles Sturt University, Leeds Parade, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jian-Wei Liao
- ZheJiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co. ltd, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying-Chun Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|