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Al Rubaye M, Janice J, Bjørnholt JV, Löhr IH, Sundsfjord A, Hegstad K. The first vanE-type vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolates in Norway - phenotypic and molecular characteristics. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2024; 36:193-199. [PMID: 38154751 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2023.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to characterize the vanE cluster and its genetic support in the first Norwegian vanE-type isolates and assess genetic relatedness to other vanE isolates. METHODS Two vanE-type vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis (vanE-VREfs) isolates (E1 and E2) recovered from the same patient 30 months apart were examined for antimicrobial susceptibility, genome sequence, vancomycin resistance induction, vanE transferability, genome mutation rate, and phylogenetic relationship to E. faecalis closed genomes and two vanE-VREfs from North America. RESULTS The ST34 E1 and E2 strains expressed low-level vancomycin resistance and susceptibility to teicoplanin. Their vanE gene clusters were part of a non-transferable Tn6202. The histidine kinase part of vanSE was expressed although a premature stop codon (E1) and insertion of a transposase (E2) truncated their vanSE gene. The vancomycin resistance phenotype in E1 was inducible while constitutive in E2. E1 showed a 125-fold higher mutation rate than E2. Variant calling showed 60 variants but nearly identical chromosomal gene content and synteny between the isolates. Their genomes also showed high similarity to another ST34 vanE-VREfs from Canada. CONCLUSION In-depth genomic analyses of the first two vanE-VREfs found in Europe identified a single chromosomal insertion site of two variants of vanE-conferring Tn6202. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and core genome multilocus sequence type (cgMLST) analyses show the genomes are different. This can be explained by the high mutation rate of E1 and acquisition of different mobile genetic elements; thus, we believe the two isolates from the same patient are genetically related. Genome similarities also suggest relatedness between the Canadian and Norwegian vanE-VREfs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mushtaq Al Rubaye
- Research group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jessin Janice
- Research group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jørgen Vildershøj Bjørnholt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Iren H Löhr
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway; Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Arnfinn Sundsfjord
- Research group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kristin Hegstad
- Research group for Host-Microbe Interactions, Department of Medical Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
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Lee D, Lee Y, Hye Shin S, Min Choi S, Hyeon Lee S, Jeong S, Jang S, Kee JM. A simple protein histidine kinase activity assay for high-throughput inhibitor screening. Bioorg Chem 2023; 130:106232. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Cong Y, Yang S, Rao X. Vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections: A review of case updating and clinical features. J Adv Res 2019; 21:169-176. [PMID: 32071785 PMCID: PMC7015472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2019.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
MRSA infection is a global threat to public health. Vancomycin is one of the first-line drugs for the treatment of MRSA infections. MRSA with complete resistance to vancomycin have emerged in recent years. The total number of VRSA isolates is updated in this paper. Resistance mechanisms, characteristics of VRSA infections, as well as clinical treatments are reviewed.
The infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a global threat to public health. Vancomycin remains one of the first-line drugs for the treatment of MRSA infections. However, S. aureus isolates with complete resistance to vancomycin have emerged in recent years. Vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) is mediated by a vanA gene cluster, which is transferred from vancomycin-resistant enterococcus. Since the first VRSA isolate was recovered from Michigan, USA in 2002, 52 VRSA strains have been isolated worldwide. In this paper, we review the latest progresses in VRSA, highlighting its resistance mechanism, characteristics of VRSA infections, as well as clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanguang Cong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Traditional Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Sijin Yang
- Department of Cardiovascular Disease, Traditional Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Xiancai Rao
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing 400038, China
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Singh H, Das S, Yadav J, Srivastava VK, Jyoti A, Kaushik S. In search of novel protein drug targets for treatment of Enterococcus faecalis infections. Chem Biol Drug Des 2019; 94:1721-1739. [PMID: 31260188 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Enterococcus faecalis (Ef) is one of the major pathogens involved in hospital-acquired infections. It can cause nosocomial bacteremia, surgical wound infection, and urinary tract infection. It is important to mention here that Ef is developing resistance against many commonly occurring antibiotics. The occurrence of multidrug resistance (MDR) and extensive-drug resistance (XDR) is now posing a major challenge to the medical community. In this regard, to combat the infections caused by Ef, we have to look for an alternative. Rational structure-based drug design exploits the three-dimensional structure of the target protein, which can be unraveled by various techniques such as X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In this review, we have discussed the complete picture of Ef infections, the possible treatment available at present, and the alternative treatment options to be explored. This study will help in better understanding of novel biological targets against Ef and the compounds, which are likely to bind with these targets. Using these detailed structural informations, rational structure-based drug design is achievable and tight inhibitors against Ef can be prepared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
| | - Satyajeet Das
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
| | - Jyoti Yadav
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
| | | | - Anupam Jyoti
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
| | - Sanket Kaushik
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
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Abstract
The genus Enterococcus comprises a ubiquitous group of Gram-positive bacteria that are of great relevance to human health for their role as major causative agents of health care-associated infections. The enterococci are resilient and versatile species able to survive under harsh conditions, making them well adapted to the health care environment. Two species cause the majority of enterococcal infections: Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium Both species demonstrate intrinsic resistance to common antibiotics, such as virtually all cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, clindamycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Additionally, a remarkably plastic genome allows these two species to readily acquire resistance to further antibiotics, such as high-level aminoglycoside resistance, high-level ampicillin resistance, and vancomycin resistance, either through mutation or by horizontal transfer of genetic elements conferring resistance determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica García-Solache
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Louis B Rice
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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Whiteside SA, Dave S, Seney SL, Wang P, Reid G, Burton JP. Enterococcus faecalis persistence in pediatric patients treated with antibiotic prophylaxis for recurrent urinary tract infections. Future Microbiol 2018; 13:1095-1115. [DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2018-0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Enterococcus faecalis is one of the most common causes of recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI), yet enterococcal pathogenesis is poorly understood. Our aims were to identify the prevalence of enterococci in RUTI patients and characterize the enterococcal response to nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Materials & methods: We studied pediatric patients receiving antibiotic prophylaxis and those only under clinical observation for 12 months (n = 39). We then assessed the response of uropathogenic E. faecalis to nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole. Results: Enterococci were isolated from almost half of patients and exposure of Enterococcus to nitrofurantoin increased virulence properties; this did not correlate with increased expression of virulence factors. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that antibiotic prophylaxis may not be suitable for treatment of enterococcal RUTI (NCT02357758).
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A Whiteside
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sumit Dave
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London, Ontario, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Peter Wang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London, Ontario, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gregor Reid
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London, Ontario, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeremy P Burton
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
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Assmann C, Kirchhoff J, Beleites C, Hey J, Kostudis S, Pfister W, Schlattmann P, Popp J, Neugebauer U. Identification of vancomycin interaction with Enterococcus faecalis within 30 min of interaction time using Raman spectroscopy. Anal Bioanal Chem 2015; 407:8343-52. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-8912-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Rice LB. The complex dynamics of antimicrobial activity in the human gastrointestinal tract. TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN CLINICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 2013; 124:123-132. [PMID: 23874016 PMCID: PMC3715918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The human gastrointestinal tract is a complex environment of mutualistic associations. As bacteria form a major component of fecal content, the natural balance of the colon can be significantly altered by exposure to antimicrobial agents. However, the effects of antimicrobial therapy on fecal content are difficult to predict and can at times be quite surprising. The emergence and spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci are cases in point. Resistance to the glycopeptide vancomycin emerged in enterococci (primarily in Enterococcus faecium) in the late 1980s in both Europe and the United States. In Europe, this emergence was tied to the use of the glycopeptide antibiotic avoparcin to promote growth in food animals and had little actual impact on hospital infections. In the United States, where avoparcin has never been licensed, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) emerged as a major hospital pathogen. Paradoxically, while the initial entry of the vancomycin resistance determinants into enterococci was almost certainly driven by high fecal concentrations of vancomycin associated with treatment for Clostridium difficile colitis, clinical infection and outbreaks were more frequently tied to use of extended-spectrum cephalosporins and agents with potent activity against anaerobic bacteria. Animal studies suggest that cephalosporins promote initial VRE colonization because of the frequent concomitant high-level resistance to β-lactam antibiotics expressed by these strains. Anti-anaerobic agents appear to increase the output of VRE in the feces, presumably by reducing the number of competitive flora in the colon. Intravenously administered vancomycin appears to have little impact because it achieves negligible concentrations in the feces after short courses. Thus, the spread of glycopeptide resistance in enterococci is promoted in a large measure by the administration of non-glycopeptide antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis B Rice
- Department of Medicine, RhodeIsland Hospital, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
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Kumar Oli A, Sungar R, Shivshetty N, Hosamani R, Chandrakanth Revansiddappa K. A Study of Scanning Electron Microscope of Vancomycin Resistant <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i> from Clinical Isolates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.4236/aim.2012.22012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Katzenmeyer KN, Bryers JD. Multivalent artificial opsonin for the recognition and phagocytosis of Gram-positive bacteria by human phagocytes. Biomaterials 2011; 32:4042-51. [PMID: 21388677 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2011] [Accepted: 02/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) remain a leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, treatment of HAIs is complicated by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. In an effort to enhance the body's natural immune response to infection, we have developed an artificial opsonin to promote the recognition, phagocytosis, and destruction of pathogenic bacteria by human phagocytes. The artificial opsonin is constructed from multivalent conjugates of poly(L-lysine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) with vancomycin and human IgG-Fc. Our approach utilizes vancomycin's inherent ability to bind to D-Ala-D-Ala terminated peptides present in the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we show that conjugation of vancomycin to PLL-g-PEG prevents its action as an antibiotic and allows vancomycin to function solely as a recognition molecule. Human IgG-Fc antibody fragment serves as a phagocyte recognition molecule and is recognized by the Fcγ cell surface receptors expressed on professional human phagocytes. Using flow cytometry, we found that a polysaccharide-encapsulated, methicillin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis is efficiently recognized by the artificial opsonin (nearly 100% of cells were opsonized) and that opsonin binding is specific since it can be inhibited by the soluble cell wall peptide analog acetyl-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala. Opsonization of S. epidermidis resulted in an approximate 2-fold increase in phagocytosis by a human neutrophil cell line. Notably, Enterococcus faecalis VanB, a bacterial strain with inducible vancomycin resistance, was used to show that the artificial opsonin does not unintentionally induce antibiotic resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy N Katzenmeyer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, 3720 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Emerging Treatments for Resistant Bacterial Infections and Pathogen-Focused Therapy. INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE 2008. [DOI: 10.1097/ipc.0b013e318168c6f9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Fosheim GE, Carey RB, Limbago BM. Evaluation of the AdvanDx VRE EVIGENE assay for detection of vanA in vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Clin Microbiol 2007; 45:1611-3. [PMID: 17344366 PMCID: PMC1865879 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.02556-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
AdvanDx VRE EVIGENE, a commercial vanA/vanB DNA hybridization assay to identify vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), was evaluated for the detection of vanA in Staphylococcus aureus. Performance was assessed using S. aureus, VRE, and vancomycin-intermediate and -susceptible isolates. The assay demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity when analyzed visually and by optical density.
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Affiliation(s)
- G E Fosheim
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MS C16, 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
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Kline RM, Baorto EP. Treatment of pediatric febrile neutropenia in the era of vancomycin-resistant microbes. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2005; 44:207-14. [PMID: 15515043 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.20224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The increasing frequency of Gm(+) infections in febrile neutropenic (FN) patients has resulted in increased use of vancomycin (VN). Likely as a result, VN-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) has become a significant concern in FN patients. We sought to understand how the emergence of VN resistant microbes has changed the antibiotic management of pediatric FN. METHODS A questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to responsible investigators of the Children's Oncology Group. RESULTS One hundred and thirty responses were analyzed. Forty-four percent initially used monotherapy, with 82% of those using ceftazidime. Twenty-seven used VN with another agent, generally ceftazidime. After the emergence of VRE and VN-resistant staphylococcus (VRS), monotherapy increased to 58%. Ceftazidime continued to be most frequently used. There was a 57% reduction in the use of VN with 88% of centers not currently using VN in their initial treatment of FN. Forty-seven percent of the centers that continue to use VN have VRE, while 90% that have discontinued its use have VRE/VRS. CONCLUSIONS Ours is the first study to survey current practices in the treatment of pediatric FN and to document changes in practice patterns due to emerging antibiotic resistance patterns. We demonstrate increased use of monotherapy for FN, and a 57% decrease in the use of VN. Local considerations influence antibiotic choices with a significant difference in VRE prevalence between those centers that continue to use VN as compared to those that have discontinued it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald M Kline
- Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
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Clark NC, Weigel LM, Patel JB, Tenover FC. Comparison of Tn1546-like elements in vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Michigan and Pennsylvania. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2005; 49:470-2. [PMID: 15616340 PMCID: PMC538911 DOI: 10.1128/aac.49.1.470-472.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2002, the first two clinical isolates of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) containing vanA were recovered in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Tn1546, a mobile genetic element that encodes high-level vancomycin resistance in enterococci, was present in both isolates. With PCR and DNA sequence analysis, we compared the Tn1546 elements from each isolate to the prototype Tn1546 element. The Michigan VRSA element was identical to the prototype Tn1546 element. The Pennsylvania VRSA element showed three distinct modifications: a deletion of nucleotides 1 to 3098 at the 5' end, which eliminated the orf1 region; an 809-bp IS1216V-like element inserted before nucleotide 3099 of Tn1546; and an inverted 1,499-bp IS1251-like element inserted into the vanSH intergenic region. These differences in the Tn1546-like elements indicate that the first two VRSA isolates were the result of independent genetic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancye C Clark
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, Mailstop G-08 Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
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Tenover FC, Weigel LM, Appelbaum PC, McDougal LK, Chaitram J, McAllister S, Clark N, Killgore G, O'Hara CM, Jevitt L, Patel JB, Bozdogan B. Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolate from a patient in Pennsylvania. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2004; 48:275-80. [PMID: 14693550 PMCID: PMC310200 DOI: 10.1128/aac.48.1.275-280.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) isolate was obtained from a patient in Pennsylvania in September 2002. Species identification was confirmed by standard biochemical tests and analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA, gyrA, and gyrB sequences; all of the results were consistent with the S. aureus identification. The MICs of a variety of antimicrobial agents were determined by broth microdilution and macrodilution methods following National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) guidelines. The isolate was resistant to vancomycin (MIC = 32 micro g/ml), aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and tetracycline, but it was susceptible to linezolid, minocycline, quinupristin-dalfopristin, rifampin, teicoplanin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The isolate, which was originally detected by using disk diffusion and a vancomycin agar screen plate, was vancomycin susceptible by automated susceptibility testing methods. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of SmaI-digested genomic DNA indicated that the isolate belonged to the USA100 lineage (also known as the New York/Japan clone), the most common staphylococcal PFGE type found in hospitals in the United States. The VRSA isolate contained two plasmids of 120 and 4 kb and was positive for mecA and vanA by PCR amplification. The vanA sequence was identical to the vanA sequence present in Tn1546. A DNA probe for vanA hybridized to the 120-kb plasmid. This is the second VRSA isolate reported in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred C Tenover
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
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Cocconcelli PS, Cattivelli D, Gazzola S. Gene transfer of vancomycin and tetracycline resistances among Enterococcus faecalis during cheese and sausage fermentations. Int J Food Microbiol 2003; 88:315-23. [PMID: 14597004 DOI: 10.1016/s0168-1605(03)00194-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study assessed the frequency of transfer of two mobile genetic elements coding for virulence determinants and antibiotic resistance factors, into food associated enterococci during fermentation processes. First, the transfer of the pheromone-inducible pCF10 plasmid, carrying tetracycline resistance and aggregation substance (AS) as virulence factor, between clinical and food strains of Enterococcus faecalis, was investigated in models of cheese and fermented sausage. The experiments demonstrated that even in the absence of selective tetracycline pressure, plasmid pCF10 was transferred from E. faecalis OG1rf cells to food strain E. faecalis BF3098c and that the plasmid subsequently persisted in these environments. Very high frequency of transfer was observed in sausage (10(-3)/recipient) if compared to cheese (10(-6)) and plate mating (10(-4)). Transconjugants were subsequently verified by PCR. The second transmissible element was the plasmid harbouring the vancomycin resistance (VanA phenotype) from E. faecalis A256. The transfer of this antibiotic resistance to a food strain of E. faecalis was studied in vitro and in food models. Although the transfer of vancomycin resistance was achieved in all the environments, the highest conjugation frequencies were observed during the ripening of fermented sausages, reaching 10(-3) transconjugants/recipient cell. PCR confirmed the transfer of the VanA genotype into a food associated Enterococcus strain. This study showed that even in the absence of selective pressure, mobile genetic elements carrying antibiotic resistance and virulence determinants can be transferred at high frequency to food associated enterococci during cheese and sausage fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier Sandro Cocconcelli
- Istituto di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, via Emilia Parmense 84, I-29100 Piacenza, Italy.
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Showsh SA, De Boever EH, Clewell DB. Vancomycin resistance plasmid in Enterococcus faecalis that encodes sensitivity to a sex pheromone also produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2001; 45:2177-8. [PMID: 11441824 PMCID: PMC90626 DOI: 10.1128/aac.45.7.2177-2178.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Simonsen GS, Myhre MR, Dahl KH, Olsvik O, Sundsfjord A. Typeability of Tn1546-like elements in vancomycin-resistant enterococci using long-range PCRs and specific analysis of polymorphic regions. Microb Drug Resist 2000; 6:49-57. [PMID: 10868807 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2000.6.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular subtyping of the VanA-type resistance element Tn1546 in an international collection of 81 genomically diverse vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) from human, animal, and environmental reservoirs was evaluated by restriction analysis of long-range PCR amplicons (PCR-RFLP), single gene PCRs, Southern blot analysis of genomic digests, and partial DNA sequencing. A dominant Tn1546-RFLP in accordance with Enterococcus faecium BM4147 was detected in 43 of the 49 long-range PCR positive strains from ecologically diverse sources in several European countries and the US. Tn1546-like elements from the 32 (40%) long-range PCR negative strains were typed into 17 different groups by single-gene PCRs and Southern blot analysis of the ORF1, ORF2, vanS-vanH, vanX-vanY, and vanZ regions. All these isolates showed deletions in the ORF1 and/or vanZ primer binding regions explaining the failure of long-range PCR amplification. Enlarged vanS-vanH or vanX-vanY fragments were detected in 7 (22%) and 16 (50%) of the long-range PCR negative strains, respectively. The enlarged vanS-vanH regions of five clinical isolates from the US (n = 2), Ireland (n = 2), and Norway (n = 1) contained identical IS1251-like insertions indicating intercontinental spread of the vanA gene cluster. Intergenic vanS-vanH IS1251 insertions have so far not been reported in European studies. Structural rearrangements of Tn1546-like elements may represent single recombination events that can serve as fingerprints in the molecular examination of vanA gene cluster evolution and transmission. The optimal strategy for such analysis has yet to be determined. Two alternative long-range PCRs with subsequent RFLP analysis were successfully used to type the majority of vanA gene clusters in an ecologically and geographically heterogeneous VRE strain collection, but failed to detect and type a group of variant Tn1546-like elements truncated in the left-end ORF1/ORF2 region. Further subtyping of such variants should specifically target the polymorphic vanS-vanH and vanX-vanY regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- G S Simonsen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University and University Hospital of Tromsø, Norway.
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21
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Mato R, de Lencastre H, Roberts RB, Tomasz A. Multiplicity of genetic backgrounds among vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates recovered from an outbreak in a New York City hospital. Microb Drug Resist 2000; 2:309-17. [PMID: 9158791 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.1996.2.309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A total of 182 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and 6 Enterococcus faecalis inpatient isolates recovered during a 2-year period (1990-1992) in a New York City hospital were analyzed by molecular fingerprinting techniques, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), of chromosomal SmaI digests combined with Southern hybridization using vanA and vanB2-specific DNA probes. Of the 180 isolates hybridizing with these probes, 153 carried the vanA and 27 the vanB gene. As many as 21 different PFGE types and a total of 54 subtypes were identified among the isolates, and the size of vanA and vanB-hybridizing DNA fragments also showed a wide range of sizes, from about 37 to over 280 kb (in vanA) or 140 kb (in vanB), suggesting extensive recombination, including chromosomal integration, of the resistance genes in the isolates. Close to one-third, 46, of the 148 isolates from 1992 belonged to two closely related PFGE subtype variants, each of which carried a 48 kb vanA hybridizing DNA fragment. Spread of this clone appears to be mainly responsible for the substantial increase in the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium in early 1992.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Mato
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA
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22
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de Lencastre H, Brown AE, Chung M, Armstrong D, Tomasz A. Role of transposon Tn5482 in the epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in the pediatric oncology unit of a New York City Hospital. Microb Drug Resist 2000; 5:113-29. [PMID: 10432272 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.1999.5.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During a 36-month period between 1993 and 1995 in the Pediatric Oncology Unit of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 74 patients experienced episodes of infection or colonization caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Characterization of the 74 bacterial isolates by microbiological and molecular techniques (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and hybridization with DNA probes specific for the vanA and vanB genes and for IS1251) identified 73 Enterococcusfaecium and one Enterococcusfaecalis (vanB) among the primary VRE isolates. Most (69/73) of the E. faecium isolates carried vanA and four isolates, the vanB gene complex. The overwhelming majority (67/69) of the vanA -positive isolates also gave hybridization signal for IS1251, indicating the presence of the newly described conjugative transposon Tn5482. No hybridization with IS1251 was obtained with the four vanB-carrying isolates. About 30% of the vanA-positive strains (23/69) were represented by PFGE subtype variants of a single clone, most isolates of which were recovered during a 4-month period between April to June of 1994. The larger portion of the vanA-carrying VRE represented by close to 70% of the isolates (46/69) belonged to as many as 37 different clonal types, indicating tremendous genetic diversity. Among 67 of the 69 vanA-carrying isolates, the localization of the Tn5482-associated vanA gene complex could be unequivocally identified either on the chromosome (40/69) or in plasmids (27/69). Transconjugants recovered from filter mating experiments using either a chromosomally located or plasmid-borne vanA donor strain and a single vancomycin-susceptible strain of either E. faecium or E. faecalis were analyzed by molecular typing techniques. Seven out of 10 independent transconjugants recovered from the same cross showed extensive differences in PFGE pattern and also in the localization of the vanA hybridizing DNA fragment transferred from the common VRE donor with chromosomally located vanA. The observations suggest that the extensive genetic diversity observed among the clinical isolates of VRE may be generated during conjugation between vancomycin-resistant and -susceptible enterococcal isolates. The observations also suggest that the epidemic spread of VRE in the United States may be linked to the frequent presence of Tn5482 among the American isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- H de Lencastre
- Laboratory of Microbiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA
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23
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Grissom-Arnold J, Alborn WE, Nicas TI, Jaskunas SR. Induction of VanA vancomycin resistance genes in Enterococcus faecalis: use of a promoter fusion to evaluate glycopeptide and nonglycopeptide induction signals. Microb Drug Resist 2000; 3:53-64. [PMID: 9109096 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.1997.3.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
To characterize induction of VanA resistance a plasmid was constructed in which the gene for firefly luciferase lucA was placed under the control of the promoter for the VanA resistance genes, the vanH promoter. This system afforded convenient quantitative measurement of induction of the VanA genes. Glycopeptide antibiotics and antibiotics representing 19 different mechanisms of action were evaluated for their ability to induce. Antibiotics that acted as inducers were all inhibitors of late steps of peptidoglycan synthesis. These included moenomycin, bacitracin, tunicamycin, ramoplanin and glycopeptides, but not penicillin or other beta-lactam antibiotics. Glycopeptide antibiotics were the most potent inducers. Both glycopeptides with little or no antimicrobial activity and semisynthetic glycopeptides active against VanA resistant enterococci were inducers. Overall, results suggest that an induction response may involve both an internal signal, such as precursor accumulation, and the glycopeptide molecule itself as a signal. The system may be useful as a screen for new antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Grissom-Arnold
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285, USA
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24
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Abstract
Enterococci are gram-positive bacteria and fit within the general definition of lactic acid bacteria. Modern classification techniques resulted in the transfer of some members of the genus Streptococcus, notably some of the Lancefield's group D streptococci, to the new genus Enterococcus. Enterococci can be used as indicators of faecal contamination. They have been implicated in outbreaks of foodborne illness, and they have been ascribed a beneficial or detrimental role in foods. In processed meats, enterococci may survive heat processing and cause spoilage, though in certain cheeses the growth of enterococci contributes to ripening and development of product flavour. Some enterococci of food origin produce bacteriocins that exert anti-Listeria activity. Enterococci are used as probiotics to improve the microbial balance of the intestine, or as a treatment for gastroenteritis in humans and animals. On the other hand, enterococci have become recognised as serious nosocomial pathogens causing bacteraemia, endocarditis, urinary tract and other infections. This is in part explained by the resistance of some of these bacteria to most antibiotics that are currently in use. Resistance is acquired by gene transfer systems, such as conjugative or nonconjugative plasmids or transposons. Virulence of enterococci is not well understood but adhesins, haemolysin, hyaluronidase, aggregation substance and gelatinase are putative virulence factors. It appears that foods could be a source of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. This review addresses the issue of the health risk of foods containing enterococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Franz
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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25
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Ike Y, Tanimoto K, Tomita H, Takeuchi K, Fujimoto S. Efficient transfer of the pheromone-independent Enterococcus faecium plasmid pMG1 (Gmr) (65.1 kilobases) to Enterococcus strains during broth mating. J Bacteriol 1998; 180:4886-92. [PMID: 9733692 PMCID: PMC107514 DOI: 10.1128/jb.180.18.4886-4892.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmid pMG1 (65.1 kb) was isolated from a gentamicin-resistant Enterococcus faecium clinical isolate and was found to encode gentamicin resistance. EcoRI restriction of pMG1 produced five fragments, A through E, with molecular sizes of 50.2, 11.5, 2.0, 0.7, and 0.7 kb, respectively. The clockwise order of the fragments was ACDEB. pMG1 transferred at high frequency to Enterococcus strains in broth mating. pMG1 transferred between Enterococcus faecalis strains, between E. faecium strains, and between E. faecium and E. faecalis strains at a frequency of approximately 10(-4) per donor cell after 3 h of mating. The pMG1 transfers were not induced by the exposure of the donor cell to culture filtrates of plasmid-free E. faecalis FA2-2 or an E. faecium strain. Mating aggregates were not observed by the naked eye during broth mating. Small mating aggregates of several cells in the broth matings were observed by microscopy, while no aggregates of donor cells which had been exposed to a culture filtrate of E. faecalis FA2-2 or an E. faecium strain were observed, even by microscopy. pMG1 DNA did not show any homology in Southern hybridization with that of the pheromone-responsive plasmids and broad-host-range plasmids pAMbeta1 and pIP501. These results indicate that there is another efficient transfer system in the conjugative plasmids of Enterococcus and that this system is different from the pheromone-induced transfer system of E. faecalis plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Ike
- Department of Microbiology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
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26
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Clark NC, Teixeira LM, Facklam RR, Tenover FC. Detection and differentiation of vanC-1, vanC-2, and vanC-3 glycopeptide resistance genes in enterococci. J Clin Microbiol 1998; 36:2294-7. [PMID: 9666008 PMCID: PMC105034 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.36.8.2294-2297.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The VanC phenotype, as found in Enterococcus gallinarum, E. casseliflavus, and E. flavescens, is characterized by intrinsic low-level resistance to vancomycin. The nucleotide sequences of the vanC-1 gene in E. gallinarum, the vanC-2 gene in E. casseliflavus, and the vanC-3 gene in E. flavescens have been reported, although there is some disagreement as to whether E. flavescens is a legitimate enterococcal species. Previous attempts to differentiate the vanC-2 and vanC-3 genes by PCR analysis have been unsuccessful. The purpose of the present study was to detect and differentiate the three vanC determinants and examine the distribution of these genes in a collection of both typical and atypical enterococci. The 796-bp vanC-1 PCR product was amplified only from E. gallinarum isolates. As expected, due to the extensive homology in the vanC-2 and vanC-3 gene sequences, all of the E. casseliflavus and E. casseliflavus/flavescens isolates produced the 484-bp vanC-2 PCR product, although the E. gallinarum isolates were negative. Only the E. casseliflavus/flavescens isolates produced the 224-bp vanC-3 product. Using the three sets of primers, we were able to detect and distinguish the vanC-1, vanC-2, and vanC-3 genes from both typical and atypical enterococci strains. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests and analysis of genomic DNA by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were also performed, but the results indicated that they were not able to distinguish among strains possessing the three vanC genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- N C Clark
- Hospital Infections Program, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
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27
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Bussiere DE, Pratt SD, Katz L, Severin JM, Holzman T, Park CH. The structure of VanX reveals a novel amino-dipeptidase involved in mediating transposon-based vancomycin resistance. Mol Cell 1998; 2:75-84. [PMID: 9702193 DOI: 10.1016/s1097-2765(00)80115-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
VanX is a zinc-dependent D-alanyl-D-alanine dipeptidase that is a critical component in a system that mediates transposon-based vancomycin resistance in enterococci. It is also a key drug target in circumventing clinical vancomycin resistance. The structure of VanX from E. faecium has been solved by X-ray crystallography and reveals a Zn(2+)-dipeptidase with a unique overall fold and a well-defined active site confined within a cavity of limited size. The crystal structures of VanX, the VanX:D-alanyl-D-alanine complex, the VanX:D-alanine complex, and VanX in complex with phosphonate and phosphinate transition-state analog inhibitors, are also presented at high resolution. Structural homology searches of known structures revealed that the fold of VanX is similar to those of two proteins: the N-terminal fragment of murine Sonic hedgehog and the Zn(2+)-dependent N-acyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine carboxypeptidase of S. albus G.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Bussiere
- Laboratory of Protein Crystallography, Abbott Laboratories, Illinois 60064, USA.
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28
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Brooks S, Khan A, Stoica D, Griffith J, Friedeman L, Mukherji R, Hameed R, Schupf N. Reduction in Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus and Clostridium difficile Infections following Change to Tympanic Thermometers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1998. [DOI: 10.2307/30141374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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29
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Mercier RC, Penzak SR, Rybak MJ. In vitro activities of an investigational quinolone, glycylcycline, glycopeptide, streptogramin, and oxazolidinone tested alone and in combinations against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1997; 41:2573-5. [PMID: 9371372 PMCID: PMC164167 DOI: 10.1128/aac.41.11.2573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the in vitro activities of clinafloxacin, CL331,002, LY333328, quinupristin dalfopristin, and eperezolid (formerly known as U-100,592) against four strains of enterococci. All regimens tested resulted in the growth inhibition of each isolate. Against the three clinafloxacin-susceptible strains, clinafloxacin tested alone was the most active treatment, decreasing the bacterial inoculum by more than 3 log10 CFU/ml after 24 h in time-kill curve studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Mercier
- Department of Pharmacy Services, Detroit Receiving Hospital/University Health Center, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, Wayne State University, Michigan 48201, USA
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30
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Biavasco F, Vignaroli C, Lupidi R, Manso E, Facinelli B, Varaldo PE. In vitro antibacterial activity of LY333328, a new semisynthetic glycopeptide. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1997; 41:2165-72. [PMID: 9333042 PMCID: PMC164087 DOI: 10.1128/aac.41.10.2165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
LY333328 is a semisynthetic N-alkyl derivative of LY264826, a naturally occurring structural analog of vancomycin. LY333328 was evaluated for its in vitro inhibitory and bactericidal activities in comparison with those of the two currently available glycopeptides (vancomycin and teicoplanin). Glycopeptide-susceptible test strains included a total of 311 isolates (most of clinical origin) from the genera Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Aerococcus, Gemella, Lactococcus, Listeria, Corynebacterium, and Clostridium. Test strains resistant or intermediate to vancomycin and/or teicoplanin included 56 clinical isolates of Enterococcus (of the VanA, VanB, and VanC phenotypes) and 32 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus (S. haemolyticus, S. epidermidis, and S. aureus), 31 strains of gram-positive genera outside the spectrum of activity of vancomycin (Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, and Erysipelothrix), and laboratory-derived organisms obtained after exposure of susceptible Staphylococcus isolates to teicoplanin (6 strains) or laboratory-derived organisms with resistance determinants received from VanA enterococci (2 Enterococcus and 25 Listeria transconjugants). LY333328 was highly active against staphylococci, enterococci, and listeriae (whether they were clinical or laboratory-derived strains) resistant to the currently available glycopeptides. In particular, the MICs of LY333328 did not vary substantially between teicoplanin-susceptible and teicoplanin-resistant staphylococci and between vancomycin-susceptible and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. LY333328 demonstrated fairly good inhibitory activity even against most strains of Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Erysipelothrix (MIC range, 1 to 8 microg/ml), whereas it proved less active (although much more active than vancomycin or teicoplanin) against Lactobacillus strains. In minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) and time-kill studies, LY333328 demonstrated excellent bactericidal activity; enterococci, in particular, which were largely tolerant of vancomycin and teicoplanin, were uniformly killed by LY333328, with MBC-to-MIC ratios of 4 to 8 for most vancomycin-susceptible and vancomycin-resistant strains. In attempts to select for resistant clones, no survivors stably growing in the presence of 10 microg of LY333328 per ml were obtained from the Staphylococcus and Enterococcus test strains exposed to the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Biavasco
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Ancona Medical School, Italy
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31
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Perlada DE, Smulian AG, Cushion MT. Molecular epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of enterococci in Cincinnati, Ohio: a prospective citywide survey. J Clin Microbiol 1997; 35:2342-7. [PMID: 9276414 PMCID: PMC229966 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.35.9.2342-2347.1997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To determine patterns of antimicrobial susceptibility among enterococci and to assess molecular characteristics of vancomycin-resistant enterococci, 157 clinical blood isolates of enterococci from 10 hospitals in Cincinnati, Ohio, were prospectively collected during a 6-month period from February to July 1995. The isolates included 108 (69%) E. faecalis isolates, 46 (29%) E. faecium isolates, and 1 isolate each of E. avium, E. durans, and E. gallinarum. The E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates differed in their susceptibilities to ampicillin (100 versus 20%), ampicillin-sulbactam (100 versus 13%), vancomycin (100 versus 57%), imipenem (94 versus 2%), and high levels of gentamicin (59 versus 83%). Supplemental susceptibility testing of the 21 vancomycin-resistant isolates showed that 21 (100%) were susceptible to chloramphenicol and that only 7 (33%) were susceptible to doxycycline. Nineteen (90%) of the vancomycin-resistant E. faecium isolates were of the VanB phenotype, with vanB resistance genes detected by PCR and hybridization with gene-specific probes; and the E. gallinarum isolates demonstrated the VanC phenotype with the vanC1 gene. One vancomycin-resistant E. faecium isolate was highly resistant to both teicoplanin and vancomycin, corresponding to the VanA phenotype; however, it was found to have the vanB gene. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed that all of the 19 E. faecium isolates with the VanB phenotype had identical to closely related banding patterns. Hybridization of restriction enzyme-digested DNA separated by PFGE with a vanB gene probe demonstrated differences in the locations of vanB genes that corresponded closely to the PFGE banding patterns. Our study has documented that the emerging vancomycin resistance in our city was mainly due to the clonal dissemination of a single strain of E. faecium VanB.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Perlada
- Department of Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0560, USA
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32
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Pegues DA, Pegues CF, Hibberd PL, Ford DS, Hooper DC. Emergence and dissemination of a highly vancomycin-resistant vanA strain of Enterococcus faecium at a large teaching hospital. J Clin Microbiol 1997; 35:1565-70. [PMID: 9163483 PMCID: PMC229788 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.35.6.1565-1570.1997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We prospectively identified patients at the Massachusetts General Hospital from whom vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were isolated from a clinical specimen from 1 January 1991 through 31 December 1995. VRE strains were available from 139 (82%) of the 169 patients with clinical cases. Of these, 39 (28%) were identical or closely related by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (i.e., VRE type A strain), including 38 (43%) of 89 VRE strains in 1995. By multivariate analysis, acquisition of the VRE type A strain was associated with receipt of clindamycin (odds ratio [OR] = 10.5), 15 or more days of hospitalization before the first isolation of VRE (OR = 2.9), and residence on one of the general medical floors (OR = 7.8). The VRE type A strain was a vanA strain of Enterococcus faecium and was highly resistant to all antimicrobial agents tested except chloramphenicol. These findings document the rapid dissemination of a highly resistant strain of E. faecium among patients and among other extant VRE strains at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1995.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Pegues
- Infectious Disease Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114-2696, USA
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33
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Poyart C, Pierre C, Quesne G, Pron B, Berche P, Trieu-Cuot P. Emergence of vancomycin resistance in the genus Streptococcus: characterization of a vanB transferable determinant in Streptococcus bovis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1997; 41:24-9. [PMID: 8980749 PMCID: PMC163654 DOI: 10.1128/aac.41.1.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus bovis NEM760 was isolated from a stool swab collected on admission from a patient as surveillance for vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Strain NEM760 was identified as S. bovis by conventional biochemical methods and partial sequence analysis of its 16S rRNA. This strain was resistant to a low level of vancomycin (MIC, 64 micrograms/ml) but was susceptible to teicoplanin (MIC, 1 micrograms/ml), and vancomycin induced resistance to both glycopeptides. The presence of a vanB-related gene in NEM760 was demonstrated in a PCR assay which enabled specific amplification of a 635-hp internal segment of vanB. Sequence analysis of the corresponding PCR product revealed that it was highly homologous (96% identity) to the prototype vanB sequence of Enterococcus faecalis V583. The VanB resistance of determinant of S. bovis NEM760 was transferred by conjugation to E. faecalis and Enterococcus faecium at a similar frequency of 2 x 10(-5) per donor. SmaI-digested genomic DNAs of independently obtained transconjugants of E. faecalis and E. faecium were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and Southern hybridization with a vanB DNA probe. The electrophoretic and hybridization patterns obtained with all transconjugants of the same species were indistinguishable and revealed vanB-containing chromosomal insertions of approximately 100 kb. These results suggest that the genes mediating VanB-type resistance in S. bovis NEM760 are part of large transferable genetic elements. The results presented in the report demonstrate for the first time the role of streptococci in the dissemination of vancomycin resistance among gram-positive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Poyart
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
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34
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Coque TM, Tomayko JF, Ricke SC, Okhyusen PC, Murray BE. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci from nosocomial, community, and animal sources in the United States. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1996; 40:2605-9. [PMID: 8913473 PMCID: PMC163584 DOI: 10.1128/aac.40.11.2605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) was looked for in fecal samples from 104 healthy volunteers (3 with hospital exposure), 100 selected hospitalized patients, and various environmental sources (44 commercial chickens, 5 farm-raised chickens, 3 turkeys, and 2 chicken farm lagoon slurries). Five probiotic preparations were also studied. No VRE with vanA or vanB genes were isolated from the healthy volunteers without hospital exposure, environmental sources, or probiotic preparations. VRE with vanB were found in the stools of 16% of the high-risk hospitalized patients and in one volunteer with hospital contact. All VRE examined could be classified into one of two clones by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. VRE from 11 of the colonized patients were quantified and ranged from 10(3) to 10(6) CFU/g of stool. This study, in contrast to findings in Europe, failed to find evidence of VanA- or VanB-type VRE in the community or environmental sources in Houston, Texas, and suggests that these settings are not a likely source of VRE in hospitals in this geographic area.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Coque
- Center for the Study of Emerging and Reemerging Pathogens, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77030, USA
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35
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Baptista M, Depardieu F, Courvalin P, Arthur M. Specificity of induction of glycopeptide resistance genes in Enterococcus faecalis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1996; 40:2291-5. [PMID: 8891132 PMCID: PMC163522 DOI: 10.1128/aac.40.10.2291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of VanA- and VanB-type glycopeptide resistance in enterococci is mediated by related two-component regulatory systems (VanR-VanS and VanRB-VanSB). The transglycosylase inhibitors vancomycin, teicoplanin, and moenomycin induced synthesis of the VanX D,D-dipeptidase in a VanA-type Enterococcus faecalis harboring transposon Tn1546. Inhibitors of reactions immediately preceding (ramoplanin) or following (penicillin G and bacitracin) transglycosylation were not inducers. These results identify accumulation of membrane-bound lipid intermediate II as a potential signal for induction of VanA-type resistance. In E.faecalis BM4281 harboring a wild vanB genetic element, D,D-dipeptidase synthesis was only inducible by vancomycin. Induction of the production of the VanB ligase by vancomycin was required for growth of a vancomycin-dependent derivative of BM4281, since introduction of a plasmid coding for constitutive synthesis of the VanA ligase eliminated the requirement of glycopeptide for growth. Both vancomycin and teicoplanin were able to induce D,D-dipeptidase synthesis in BM4281 derivatives that were vancomycin and teicoplanin resistant or vancomycin and teicoplanin dependent. Acquisition of teicoplanin resistance in the latter types of strains was due to alteration in induction specificity associated with an increase in the sensitivity of the regulatory system to vancomycin. Thus, the wild VanRB-VanSB system is unable or not sensitive enough to sense teicoplanin, although mutations can lead to recognition of this antibiotic.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Baptista
- Unité des Agents Antibactériens, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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36
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Nicas TI, Mullen DL, Flokowitsch JE, Preston DA, Snyder NJ, Zweifel MJ, Wilkie SC, Rodriguez MJ, Thompson RC, Cooper RD. Semisynthetic glycopeptide antibiotics derived from LY264826 active against vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1996; 40:2194-9. [PMID: 8878606 PMCID: PMC163498 DOI: 10.1128/aac.40.9.2194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Certain derivatives of the glycopeptide antibiotic LY264826 with N-alkyl-linked substitutions on the epivancosamine sugar are active against glycopeptide-resistant enterococci. Six compounds representing our most active series were evaluated for activity against antibiotic-resistant, gram-positive pathogens. For Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis resistant to both vancomycin and teicoplanin, the MICs of the six semisynthetic compounds for 90% of the strains tested were 1 to 4 micrograms/ml, compared with 2,048 micrograms/ml for vancomycin and 256 micrograms/ml for LY264826. For E. faecium and E. faecalis resistant to vancomycin but not teicoplanin, the MICs were 0.016 to 1 micrograms/ml, compared with 64 to 1,024 micrograms/ml for vancomycin. The compounds were highly active against vancomycin-susceptible enterococci and against E. gallinarum and E. casseliflavus and showed some activity against isolates of highly vancomycin-resistant leuconostocs and pediococci. The MICs for 90% of the strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus tested were typically 0.25 to 1 micrograms/ml, compared with 1 microgram/ml for vancomycin. Against methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis MICs ranged from 0.25 to 2 micrograms/ml, compared with 1 to 4 micrograms/ml for vancomycin and 4 to 16 micrograms/ml for teicoplanin. The spectrum of these new compounds included activity against teicoplanin-resistant, coagulase-negative staphylococci. The compounds exhibited exceptional potency against pathogenic streptococci, with MICs of < or = 0.008 microgram/ml against Streptococcus pneumoniae, including penicillin-resistant isolates. In in vivo studies with a mouse infection model, the median effective doses against a challenge by S. aureus, S. pneumoniae, or S. pyogenes were typically 4 to 20 times lower than those of vancomycin. Overall, these new glycopeptides, such as LY307599 and LY333328, show promise for use as agents against resistant enterococci, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and penicillin-resistant pneumococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- T I Nicas
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285, USA.
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37
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review vancomycin resistance in enterococci (Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium) with respect to history, epidemiology, mechanism of resistance, and management. DATA SOURCES A MEDLINE, IDIS, and current journal search of English-language articles on vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) published between 1982 and 1994 was conducted. STUDY SELECTION Studies and reports pertaining to vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis and E. faecium were evaluated. Case reports, cohort, epidemiologic, in vitro and in vivo studies were evaluated. DATA EXTRACTION Reports in which vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations were 32 micrograms/mL or more were evaluated. DATA SYNTHESIS Large outbreaks of VRE infection have occurred as a result of nosocomial spread. Such outbreaks have required intensive infection control procedures to limit the spread of VRE. Vancomycin resistance in E. faecalis and E. faecium has been subdivided into phenotypes, VanA and VanB. The mechanism of vancomycin resistance is caused by the production of depsipeptide D-Ala-D-Lac, which replaces D-Ala-D-Ala in the peptidoglycan pathway, thereby preventing the binding of vancomycin to D-Ala-D-Ala in the peptidoglycan cell wall. The vanA gene is associated with a transpositional element (Tn1546) that can be transferred via conjugation while most data suggest that vanB has an endogenous origin. Education, aggressive infection control practices. surveillance programs, and appropriate use of vancomycin are necessary to respond to the VRE problem. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of VRE has increased significantly in recent years and has become a worldwide problem. Several factors, such as prior exposure to vancomycin and antibotics (e.g., cephalosporins, antianaerobic agents), physical location in the hospital, immunosuppression, prolonged hospital stay, and VRE gastrointestinal colonization are associated with VRE infection and colonization. Antibiotic treatment of serious VRE infection depends on the phenotype. Optimal treatment of the VanA phenotype is unknown; the VanB phenotype may be treated with teicoplanin and an aminoglycoside.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Gin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Dembry LM, Uzokwe K, Zervos MJ. Control of endemic glycopeptide-resistant enterococci. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1996; 17:286-92. [PMID: 8727617 DOI: 10.1086/647297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the epidemiology of, and control measures for, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) in a renal unit. DESIGN A 3-month, prospective, prevalence culture survey of patients on a 24-bed renal unit. SETTING A 975-bed community teaching hospital. PATIENTS Patients admitted to the renal unit over a 3-month period. Patients identified with VRE were each matched with four patients without VRE isolated over the study period. INTERVENTIONS/CONTROL MEASURES: Resistant-organism barrier precautions. To eradicate carriage of VRE, two patients with VRE stool colonization were treated with 5 days of oral doxycycline (100 mg twice per day) and rifampin (300 mg/day). RESULTS Seven patients with VRE (8 isolates) were identified. Five isolates were Enterococcus faecium (vancomycin MIC = 16 to 256 micrograms/mL), two were Enterococcus faecalis (MICs = 16 and 124 micrograms/mL), and one was Enterococcus gallinarum (MIC = 8.0 micrograms/mL). Eradication of carriage with VRE was accomplished in two patients treated with doxycycline and rifampin. In the final 30 days of the culture survey and at 9 months, there were no further patients with VRE identified. CONCLUSIONS Resistant-organism precautions and elimination of patient carriage may be useful measures for controlling the spread of low-prevalence endemic vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Dembry
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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39
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Dembry LM, Uzokwe K, Zervos MJ. Control of Endemic Glycopeptide-Resistant Enterococci. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1996. [DOI: 10.2307/30141928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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40
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Mao CA, Siegler EL, Abrutyn E. Antimicrobial resistance patterns in long term geriatric care. Implications for drug therapy. Drugs Aging 1996; 8:162-70. [PMID: 8720742 DOI: 10.2165/00002512-199608030-00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
There is a high prevalence of bacterial infections in long term care facilities (4.4 to 16.2%). This, together with the fact that antimicrobial resistance is a big concern in current medical practice, makes infection control so important in nursing home care. This article covers the mechanisms of antibacterial resistance and focuses on 4 major antibacterial-resistant bacteria. Vancomycin is the treatment of choice for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Colonisation with MRSA is not uncommon in nursing homes and eradication is probably not necessary. Any clinically important enterococcal infection should be tested for high-level resistance. An infectious disease consultation should be sought for vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections. Gram-negative bacilli have developed multi-resistance. Susceptibility testing can identify the most appropriate therapy. Multiresistance should also be considered when treating Streptococcus pneumoniae. Overall, handwashing is highly recommended. Barrier precautions, minimising hospitalisations and avoiding unnecessary personnel rotation can reduce the chance of resistance spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Mao
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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41
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Biavasco F, Giovanetti E, Miele A, Vignaroli C, Facinelli B, Varaldo PE. In vitro conjugative transfer of VanA vancomycin resistance between Enterococci and Listeriae of different species. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1996; 15:50-9. [PMID: 8641304 DOI: 10.1007/bf01586185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In a study designed to gain data on the in vitro transferability of vancomycin resistance from enterococci of the VanA phenotype to listeriae of different species, three clinical Enterococcus isolates-Enterococcus faecium LS10, Enterococcus faecalis LS4, and Enterococcus faecalis A3208, all harboring a plasmid that strongly hybridized with a vanA probe-were used as donors in transfer experiments. Strains of five Listeria species were used as recipients. From Enterococcus faecium LS10, glycopeptide resistance was transferred to Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria ivanovii, and Listeria welshimeri recipients, whereas no transfer occurred to Listeria seeligeri or Listeria innocua strains. From the two Enterococcus faecalis isolates, no transfer occurred to any Listeria recipient. MICs of both vancomycin and teicoplanin were > or = 256 mg/l for all transconjugants tested. Furthermore, all transconjugants harbored a plasmid that strongly hybridized with the vanA probe, with vanA consistently located in an EcoRI fragment of about 4 kb. Exposure of Listeria transconjugants to vancomycin resulted in synthesis of a membrane protein similar in size (39 kDa) to a vancomycin-induced membrane protein of Enterococcus faecium LS10. In retransfer experiments with Listeria transconjugants used as donors, glycopeptide resistance was transferred to all Listeria recipients tested, including strains of Listeria innocua and Listeria seeligeri, which were unable to receive the resistance from Enterococcus faecium LS10. The frequency of vanA transfer to listerial recipients was greater in retransfer experiments than in the primary matings. These findings suggest that the vanA resistance determinant might spread to the established pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, both directly from a resistant enterococcus and through strains of nonpathogenic Listeria species acting as intermediate resistance vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Biavasco
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Ancona Medical School, Italy
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42
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Woodford N, Johnson AP, Morrison D, Speller DC. Current perspectives on glycopeptide resistance. Clin Microbiol Rev 1995; 8:585-615. [PMID: 8665471 PMCID: PMC172877 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.8.4.585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last 5 years, clinical isolates of gram-positive bacteria with intrinsic or acquired resistance to glycopeptide antibiotics have been encountered increasingly. In many of these isolates, resistance arises from an alteration of the antibiotic target site, with the terminal D-alanyl-D-alanine moiety of peptidoglycan precursors being replaced by groups that do not bind glycopeptides. Although the criteria for defining resistance have been revised frequently, the reliable detection of low-level glycopeptide resistance remains problematic and is influenced by the method chosen. Glycopeptide-resistant enterococci have emerged as a particular problem in hospitals, where in addition to sporadic cases, clusters of infections with evidence of interpatient spread have occurred. Studies using molecular typing methods have implicated colonization of patients, staff carriage, and environmental contamination in the dissemination of these bacteria. Choice of antimicrobial therapy for infections caused by glycopeptide-resistant bacteria may be complicated by resistance to other antibiotics. Severe therapeutic difficulties are being encountered among patients infected with enterococci, with some infections being untreatable with currently available antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Woodford
- Antibiotic Reference Unit, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, England
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43
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Miele A, Bandera M, Goldstein BP. Use of primers selective for vancomycin resistance genes to determine van genotype in enterococci and to study gene organization in VanA isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1995; 39:1772-8. [PMID: 7486917 PMCID: PMC162824 DOI: 10.1128/aac.39.8.1772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Vancomycin resistance in enterococci is an emerging therapeutic problem. Resistance is not always detected by standard microbiological methods. Oligonucleotide primers for PCR were designed to target amplification of defined regions of genes of the vanA cluster, as well as vanB and vanC1. These primers correctly identified 30 vancomycin-resistant isolates tested (17 VanA, 7 VanB, and 6 Enterococcus gallinarum). No amplification was observed with Enterococcus casseliflavus or vancomycin-susceptible strains. Using PCR and Southern blotting, we found that all 17 VanA isolates had orf-1, orf-2, vanR, vanS, vanH, vanA, and vanY genes in the same sequence and that the intergenic distances in the vanR-vanA segments were the same. The described methods should be applicable to the rapid detection of the different vancomycin resistance genotypes in enterococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Miele
- Lepetit Research Center, Marion Merrell Dow Research Institute, Gerenzano (Varese), Italy
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44
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Lam S, Singer C, Tucci V, Morthland VH, Pfaller MA, Isenberg HD. The challenge of vancomycin-resistant enterococci: a clinical and epidemiologic study. Am J Infect Control 1995; 23:170-80. [PMID: 7677262 DOI: 10.1016/0196-6553(95)90038-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vancomycin-resistant enterococci have been recovered with increasing frequency from hospitalized patients. Risk factors, mode of nosocomial transmission, extent of colonization in hospitalized patients, and treatment options for these organisms have not been completely delineated. METHODS We studied 53 patients (group A) with vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolated from various clinical specimens and also surveyed for vancomycin-resistant enterococci in stool specimens submitted for Clostridium difficile toxin assays (group B). Stool specimens submitted for identification of bacterial pathogens and stool specimens from hospital employees were also analyzed for vancomycin-resistant enterococci. RESULTS Seventy-six isolates of vancomycin-resistant enterococci were recovered in group A. Five of these patients harbored vancomycin-resistant enterococci on admission. Fifty-three of 289 group B stool specimens submitted for C. difficile toxin assays yielded vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Cephalosporins and vancomycin were the most common antimicrobial agents received by both groups of patients. Enterococcus faecium isolates were more resistant than Enterococcus faecalis isolates to antimicrobial agents. All isolates exhibited high-level aminoglycoside resistance and were not beta-lactamase producers. There were at least 15 different molecular clones of E. faecium and three of E. faecalis. Vancomycin-resistant enterococcal bacteremia was associated with a 100% in-hospital mortality rate. CONCLUSIONS Multidrug-resistant and vancomycin-resistant enterococci have become important nosocomial pathogens that are difficult to treat. Vancomycin-resistant enterococcal bacteremia was associated with a poor prognosis. We found a high rate of colonization in patients with suspected C. difficile toxin colitis. Judicious use of vancomycin and broad-spectrum antibiotics is recommended, and strict infection control measures must be implemented to prevent nosocomial transmission of these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lam
- Department of Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York 11040, USA
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45
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Abstract
Enterococci are nosocomial pathogens intrinsically resistant to a variety of commonly used antimicrobial agents. The frequent use of antimicrobial agents such as cephalosporins has been associated with the increased isolation of enterococci in pediatric hospitals. In addition to their intrinsic resistance traits, the enterococci have rapidly accumulated a variety of acquired resistance determinants. Strains that are resistant to all currently available antibiotics are now being isolated from infected children. The threat of untreatable enterococcal infection and the possibility that vancomycin resistance may spread from the enterococci to the more virulent pneumococci or staphylococci argue for vigilant surveillance for resistant strains, isolation and barrier precautions for infected patients, increased research into the mechanisms of resistance, and a reinvigorated effort to identify new classes of antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- L B Rice
- Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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46
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Rosato A, Pierre J, Billot-Klein D, Buu-Hoi A, Gutmann L. Inducible and constitutive expression of resistance to glycopeptides and vancomycin dependence in glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus avium. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1995; 39:830-3. [PMID: 7785979 PMCID: PMC162637 DOI: 10.1128/aac.39.4.830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A clinical isolate of Enterococcus avium, Ea1, which exhibited inducible, low-level resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin, and two mutants selected from this strain, Ea3 and Ea31, were studied. Ea3 was vancomycin dependent and derived from Ea1, while Ea31 was not vancomycin dependent, was constitutively resistant, and was derived from Ea3. Hybridization studies revealed that vanA was present in Ea1 and suggested that it was located on a high-molecular-weight plasmid. In the absence of induction, Ea1 synthesized only the natural UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide precursor, and after induction it synthesized an additional precursor identified as UDP-MurNAc-tetrapeptide-D-lactate. The latter was the only precursor found in Ea3 and Ea31, even after precursor accumulation. From these results, we infer that (i) the low level of resistance to glycopeptides in strain Ea1 may be in part due to the residual synthesis of the normal precursor and (ii) the vancomycin dependence of mutant Ea3 could be due to the fact that this strain does not produce any peptidoglycan precursor in the absence of induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rosato
- Laboratoire de Recherche Moléculaire sur les Antibiotiques, Université Paris VI, France
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47
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Abstract
The glycopeptide antibiotics vancomycin and teicoplanin have similar mechanisms of action on bacterial cell wall synthesis. Their spectra of activity are limited to Gram-positive bacteria, with the degree of bactericidal activity depending on the species of micro-organism. Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis, enterococci and Clostridium difficile are generally sensitive, including methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Glycopeptide resistance has recently emerged in staphylococci and enterococci. Vancomycin has a shorter half-life than teicoplanin and requires multiple dosing to maintain adequate serum levels. It can only be given by prolonged intravenous infusion over 1 h. In contrast, the pharmacokinetics of teicoplanin allow for once-daily dosing, either by rapid intravenous infusion or by the intramuscular route. The latter offers reliable absorption for patients with limited venous access and is also of benefit for out-patient therapy. Teicoplanin is a safer drug than vancomycin. It is associated with a lower incidence of nephrotoxicity or ototoxicity. Compared to vancomycin, the availability of the intramuscular route and the absence of a requirement for routine serum monitoring, together with the reduced need to treat drug-related side-effects make teicoplanin more cost-effective. It is as effective as vancomycin for most indications, is safe, easy to administer and an important agent for treating Gram-positive infections. Its role in hospitals is likely to increase if the price of drug acquisition is kept low.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Murphy
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of London, Brunswick Square, U.K
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48
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Jones RN, Sader HS, Erwin ME, Anderson SC. Emerging multiply resistant enterococci among clinical isolates. I. Prevalence data from 97 medical center surveillance study in the United States. Enterococcus Study Group. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 1995; 21:85-93. [PMID: 7628198 DOI: 10.1016/0732-8893(94)00147-o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
To assess the evolving problem of therapeutic drug resistances among enterococci, we organized a comprehensive national (United States) surveillance trial using 99 recruited microbiology laboratories in 48 of the 49 contiguous states or districts. All but two sites completed the protocol that generated information from nearly 2000 enterococci, usually isolated from blood cultures. All strains were speciated by the same method (API 20S) and were susceptibility tested by three methods (broth microdilution, disk diffusion, and Etest) against ampicillin, penicillin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, gentamicin, and streptomycin. Strains resistant to a glycopeptide or penicillin, or possessing high-level aminoglycoside resistance were referred to the monitor's laboratory for validation and additional susceptibility testing against other alternative antimicrobial agents. The most common species were Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. However, antimicrobial resistance occurred most often among the E. faecium isolates. Twenty-three percent of participant centers (22 sites) reported 87 vancomycin-resistant isolates, which accounts for 4.4% of the isolates evaluated. A recent audit (March 1994) of the laboratories not reporting vancomycin resistance during the study interval (October-December 1992) revealed that 61% of sites have now recognized these strains, a threefold increase in 12-15 months. Teicoplanin remained active against 28% (Van B phenotype) of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (10 E. faecalis, 13 E. faecium, and one Enterococcus spp.). Ampicillin-resistant beta-lactamase-positive strains were found only at one medical center (two strains, 0.2% of referred or validated strains); however, ampicillin-resistant strains represented 12% of all enterococcal, but nearly 60% of E. faecium strains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- R N Jones
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA
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49
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Zmijewski
- Eli Lilly and Company, Chemical Process Research and Development Biocatalysis Laboratory, Indianapolis, IN 46285-3317, USA
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50
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Sanders CC, Sanders WE. Resistance to antibacterial agents. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 1995; 390:15-23. [PMID: 8718599 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4757-9203-4_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C C Sanders
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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