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Han X, Yao J, He J, Liu H, Jiang Y, Zhao D, Shi Q, Zhou J, Hu H, Lan P, Zhou H, Li X. Clinical and laboratory insights into the threat of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2024; 64:107275. [PMID: 39002700 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2024.107275] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) typically causes severe invasive infections affecting multiple sites in healthy individuals. In the past, hvKP was characterized by a hypermucoviscosity phenotype, susceptibility to antimicrobial agents, and its tendency to cause invasive infections in healthy individuals within the community. However, there has been an alarming increase in reports of multidrug-resistant hvKP, particularly carbapenem-resistant strains, causing nosocomial infections in critically ill or immunocompromised patients. This presents a significant challenge for clinical treatment. Early identification of hvKP is crucial for timely infection control. Notably, identifying hvKP has become confusing due to its prevalence in nosocomial settings and the limited predictive specificity of the hypermucoviscosity phenotype. Novel virulence predictors for hvKP have been discovered through animal models or machine learning algorithms, while standardization of identification criteria is still necessary. Timely source control and antibiotic therapy have been widely employed for the treatment of hvKP infections. Additionally, phage therapy is a promising alternative approach due to escalating antibiotic resistance. In summary, this narrative review highlights the latest research progress in the development, virulence factors, identification, epidemiology of hvKP, and treatment options available for hvKP infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhong Han
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiayao Yao
- Centre of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jintao He
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haiyang Liu
- Centre of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dongdong Zhao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiucheng Shi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Junxin Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Huangdu Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Centre for General Practice Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peng Lan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xi Li
- Centre of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Sun W, Rong C, Chen L, Li J, An Z, Yue J, Wei H, Han K, Hua M, Zeng H, Chen C. Microaerobic-mediated suppression of Klebsiella pneumoniae mucoviscosity is restored by rmpD overexpression. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae192. [PMID: 39090973 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) causes invasive community-acquired infections in healthy individuals, and hypermucoviscosity (HMV) is the main phenotype associated with hvKp. This study investigates the impact of microaerobic environment availability on the mucoviscosity of K. pneumoniae. METHODS AND RESULTS By culturing 25 clinical strains under microaerobic and aerobic environments, we observed a notable reduction in mucoviscosity in microaerobic environments. RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR revealed downregulated expressions of capsule synthesis genes (galf, orf2, wzi, wza, wzb, wzc, wcaj, manC, manB, and ugd) and regulatory genes (rmpA, rmpD, and rmpC) under microaerobic conditions. Transmission electron microscopy and Indian ink staining analysis were performed, revealing that the capsular thickness of K. pneumoniae decreased by half in microaerobic conditions compared to aerobic conditions. Deletion of rmpD and rmpC caused the loss of the HMV phenotype in both aerobic and microaerobic conditions. However, compared to wild-type strain in microaerobic condition, only rmpD overexpression strain, and not rmpC overexpression strain, displayed a significant increase in capsule thickness in microaerobic conditions. CONCLUSIONS Microaerobic conditions can suppress the mucoviscosity of K. pneumoniae, but this suppression can be overcome by altering the expression of rmpD, indicating a specific function for rmpD in the oxygen environmental adaptation of K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangnan Sun
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Chengbo Rong
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Jiarui Li
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Zhijing An
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Jinglin Yue
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Hengkun Wei
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Kai Han
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Mingxi Hua
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Hui Zeng
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Biomedical Innovation Center and Beijing Key Laboratory for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
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Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Tian Y, Zhu M, Wang X, Shen J, Li Y. Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae Endophthalmitis in a Tertiary Hospital in Shanghai, China. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 2024; 32:940-946. [PMID: 36657741 DOI: 10.1080/09273948.2022.2161398] [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: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the clinical features of endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis (EKPE) and the molecular characteristics of pathogenic K. pneumoniae. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted between January 2014 and January 2021. Clinical data were extracted. K. pneumoniae isolates cultured from EKPE patients' specimens were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, multilocus sequence typing, capsular serotyping, and virulence gene profiles. Virulence phenotypes were confirmed by mouse lethality assay. RESULTS Thirty-nine patients (47 eyes) were diagnosed with EKPE. Administration of systemic antibiotics and eye treatment within 24 hours of ocular symptom onset was statistically associated with better visual outcomes (p = .007). Sixteen K. pneumoniae isolates were collected, three of which were carbapenem-resistant and avirulent. Only salmochelin encoding gene was harbored by all isolates. CONCLUSIONS Systemic and eye treatment administered within 24 hours from the onset improves visual prognosis. Besides hypervirulent strains, avirulent carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae can cause EKPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhou
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yixin Zhang
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, National Health Commission, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yueru Tian
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Mengjun Zhu
- Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center, Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Jun Shen
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Ying Li
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, National Health Commission, Shanghai, P. R. China
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Wen Z, Chen Y, Liu T, Han J, Jiang Y, Zhang K. Predicting Antibiotic Tolerance in hvKP and cKP Respiratory Infections Through Biofilm Formation Analysis and Its Resistance Implications. Infect Drug Resist 2024; 17:1529-1537. [PMID: 38650753 PMCID: PMC11033731 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s449712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Respiratory infections are a major global health concern, with Klebsiella pneumoniae standing out due to its evolving antibiotic resistance. This study compares the resistance profiles of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) and classical Klebsiella pneumoniae (cKP), aiming to shed light on their clinical implications. Methods We analyzed 86 cases, comprising 42 hvKP and 44 cKP strains, using comprehensive antimicrobial susceptibility testing and clinical data evaluation to assess antibiotic tolerance and resistance mechanisms. Results Our findings reveal distinct resistance patterns between hvKP and cKP, highlighting the role of chromosomal mutations and plasmid-mediated gene transfer in conferring antibiotic resistance. Notably, hvKP strains exhibited unique resistance trends, including the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases, differing from those of cKP. Discussion This research underscores the importance of continuous surveillance and the development of targeted therapies against antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. It emphasizes the critical need for judicious antibiotic use and novel therapeutic approaches to combat respiratory infections caused by these increasingly resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongwei Wen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiqiang Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tangjuan Liu
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiahui Han
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuting Jiang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China
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Assoni L, Couto AJM, Vieira B, Milani B, Lima AS, Converso TR, Darrieux M. Animal models of Klebsiella pneumoniae mucosal infections. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1367422. [PMID: 38559342 PMCID: PMC10978692 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1367422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is among the most relevant pathogens worldwide, causing high morbidity and mortality, which is worsened by the increasing rates of antibiotic resistance. It is a constituent of the host microbiota of different mucosa, that can invade and cause infections in many different sites. The development of new treatments and prophylaxis against this pathogen rely on animal models to identify potential targets and evaluate the efficacy and possible side effects of therapeutic agents or vaccines. However, the validity of data generated is highly dependable on choosing models that can adequately reproduce the hallmarks of human diseases. The present review summarizes the current knowledge on animal models used to investigate K. pneumoniae infections, with a focus on mucosal sites. The advantages and limitations of each model are discussed and compared; the applications, extrapolations to human subjects and future modifications that can improve the current techniques are also presented. While mice are the most widely used species in K. pneumoniae animal studies, they present limitations such as the natural resistance to the pathogen and difficulties in reproducing the main steps of human mucosal infections. Other models, such as Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), Caenorhabditis elegans, Galleria mellonella and Danio rerio (zebrafish), contribute to understanding specific aspects of the infection process, such as bacterial lethality and colonization and innate immune system response, however, they but do not present the immunological complexity of mammals. In conclusion, the choice of the animal model of K. pneumoniae infection will depend mainly on the questions being addressed by the study, while a better understanding of the interplay between bacterial virulence factors and animal host responses will provide a deeper comprehension of the disease process and aid in the development of effective preventive/therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Michelle Darrieux
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Molecular e Clínica, Universidade São Francisco, Bragança Paulista, Brazil
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Liu N, Lou N, Huang J, Chen Z, Li B, Zhang Z, Hong Y, Cao L, Xiao W. Genomic surveillance indicates clonal replacement of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae ST881 and ST29 lineage strains in vivo. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1375624. [PMID: 38440138 PMCID: PMC10910047 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1375624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) poses a significant public health threat, particularly regarding its carriage in the healthy population. However, the genomic epidemiological characteristics and population dynamics of hvKp within a single patient across distinct infection episodes remain largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the clonal replacement of hvKp K2-ST881 and K54-ST29 lineage strains in a single patient experiencing multiple-site infections during two independent episodes. Two strains, designated EDhvKp-1 and EDhvKp-2, were obtained from blood and cerebrospinal fluid during the first admission, and the strain isolated from blood on the second admission was named EDhvKp-3. Whole-genome sequencing, utilizing both short-read Illumina and long-read Oxford Nanopore platforms, was conducted. In silico multilocus sequence typing (MLST), identification of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes, and the phylogenetic relationship between our strains and other K. pneumoniae ST881 and ST29 genomes retrieved from the public database were performed. Virulence potentials were assessed through a mouse lethality assay. Our study indicated that the strains were highly susceptible to multiple antimicrobial agents. Plasmid sequence analysis confirmed that both virulence plasmids, pEDhvKp-1 (166,008 bp) and pEDhvKp-3 (210,948 bp), belonged to IncFIB type. Multiple virulence genes, including rmpA, rmpA2, rmpC, rmpD, iroBCDN, iucABCD, and iutA, were identified. EDhvKp-1 and EDhvKp-2 showed the closest relationship to strain 502 (differing by 51 SNPs), while EDhvKp-3 exhibited 69 SNPs differences compared to strain TAKPN-1, which all recovered from Chinese patients in 2020. In the mouse infection experiment, both ST881 EDhvKp-1 and ST29 EDhvKp-3 displayed similar virulence traits, causing 90 and 100% of the mice to die within 72 h after intraperitoneal infection, respectively. Our study expands the spectrum of hvKp lineages and highlights genomic alterations associated with clonal switching between two distinct lineages of hvKP that successively replaced each other in vivo. The development of novel strategies for the surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment of high-risk hvKp is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ningjie Lou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiajie Huang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhenhao Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bing Li
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongheng Zhang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yucai Hong
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liping Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Russo TA, Alvarado CL, Davies CJ, Drayer ZJ, Carlino-MacDonald U, Hutson A, Luo TL, Martin MJ, Corey BW, Moser KA, Rasheed JK, Halpin AL, McGann PT, Lebreton F. Differentiation of hypervirulent and classical Klebsiella pneumoniae with acquired drug resistance. mBio 2024; 15:e0286723. [PMID: 38231533 PMCID: PMC10865842 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02867-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Distinguishing hypervirulent (hvKp) from classical Klebsiella pneumoniae (cKp) strains is important for clinical care, surveillance, and research. Some combinations of iucA, iroB, peg-344, rmpA, and rmpA2 are most commonly used, but it is unclear what combination of genotypic or phenotypic markers (e.g., siderophore concentration, mucoviscosity) most accurately predicts the hypervirulent phenotype. Furthermore, acquisition of antimicrobial resistance may affect virulence and confound identification. Therefore, 49 K. pneumoniae strains that possessed some combinations of iucA, iroB, peg-344, rmpA, and rmpA2 and had acquired resistance were assembled and categorized as hypervirulent hvKp (hvKp) (N = 16) or cKp (N = 33) via a murine infection model. Biomarker number, siderophore production, mucoviscosity, virulence plasmid's Mash/Jaccard distances to the canonical pLVPK, and Kleborate virulence score were measured and evaluated to accurately differentiate these pathotypes. Both stepwise logistic regression and a CART model were used to determine which variable was most predictive of the strain cohorts. The biomarker count alone was the strongest predictor for both analyses. For logistic regression, the area under the curve for biomarker count was 0.962 (P = 0.004). The CART model generated the classification rule that a biomarker count = 5 would classify the strain as hvKP, resulting in a sensitivity for predicting hvKP of 94% (15/16), a specificity of 94% (31/33), and an overall accuracy of 94% (46/49). Although a count of ≥4 was 100% (16/16) sensitive for predicting hvKP, the specificity and accuracy decreased to 76% (25/33) and 84% (41/49), respectively. These findings can be used to inform the identification of hvKp.IMPORTANCEHypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) is a concerning pathogen that can cause life-threatening infections in otherwise healthy individuals. Importantly, although strains of hvKp have been acquiring antimicrobial resistance, the effect on virulence is unclear. Therefore, it is of critical importance to determine whether a given antimicrobial resistant K. pneumoniae isolate is hypervirulent. This report determined which combination of genotypic and phenotypic markers could most accurately identify hvKp strains with acquired resistance. Both logistic regression and a machine-learning prediction model demonstrated that biomarker count alone was the strongest predictor. The presence of all five of the biomarkers iucA, iroB, peg-344, rmpA, and rmpA2 was most accurate (94%); the presence of ≥4 of these biomarkers was most sensitive (100%). Accurately identifying hvKp is vital for surveillance and research, and the availability of biomarker data could alert the clinician that hvKp is a consideration, which, in turn, would assist in optimizing patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A. Russo
- Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare System, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Cassandra L. Alvarado
- Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare System, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Connor J. Davies
- Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare System, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Zachary J. Drayer
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ulrike Carlino-MacDonald
- Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare System, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Alan Hutson
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ting L. Luo
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Melissa J. Martin
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Brendan W. Corey
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Kara A. Moser
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - J. Kamile Rasheed
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alison L. Halpin
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Patrick T. McGann
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Francois Lebreton
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network (MRSN), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Zhao J, Pu D, Li Z, Liu X, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Zhang F, Li C, Zhuo X, Lu B, Cao B. In vitro activity of cefiderocol, a siderophore cephalosporin, against carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in China. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0073523. [PMID: 38014944 PMCID: PMC10720542 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00735-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cefiderocol is a siderophore cephalosporin that binds ferric iron and utilizes iron transporters to cross the cell membrane. Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) is known to produce more siderophores; in this case, the uptake of cefiderocol may be decreased. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of cefiderocol against hvKp isolates. A total of 320 carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKp) isolates were collected in China between 2014 and 2022, including 171 carbapenem-resistant hvKp (CR-hvKp) and 149 carbapenem-resistant classical K. pneumoniae (CR-cKp). Quantitative detection of siderophores showed that the average siderophore production of CR-hvKp (234.6 mg/L) was significantly higher than that of CR-cKp (68.9 mg/L, P < 0.001). The overall cefiderocol resistance rate of CR-hvKp and CR-cKp was 5.8% (10/171) and 2.7% (4/149), respectively. The non-susceptible rates of both cefiderocol and siderophore production of CR-hvKp isolates were higher than those of CR-cKp in either NDM-1- or KPC-2-producing groups. The MIC90 and MIC50 for CR-hvKp and CR-cKp were 8 mg/L and 2 mg/L and 4 mg/L and 1 mg/L, respectively. The cumulative cefiderocol MIC distribution for CR-hvKp was significantly lower than that of CR-cKp isolates (P = 0.003). KL64 and KL47 consisted of 53.9% (83/154) and 75.7% (53/70) of the ST11 CR-hvKp and CR-cKp, respectively, and the former had significantly higher siderophore production. In summary, cefiderocol might be less effective against CR-hvKp compared with CR-cKp isolates, highlighting the need for caution regarding the prevalence of cefiderocol-resistant K. pneumoniae strains, particularly in CR-hvKp isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiankang Zhao
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Danni Pu
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ziyao Li
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinmeng Liu
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yulin Zhang
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongli Wu
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Feilong Zhang
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Li
- Liuyang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xianxia Zhuo
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Binghuai Lu
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Cao
- National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Beijing, China
- Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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9
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Guo M, Gao B, Su J, Zeng Y, Cui Z, Liu H, Guo X, Zhu Y, Wei B, Zhao Y, Qin J, Lu X, Li Q. Phenotypic and genetic characterization of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in patients with liver abscess and ventilator-associated pneumonia. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:338. [PMID: 37957579 PMCID: PMC10644596 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03022-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) due to Klebsiella pneumoniae infection can trigger life-threatening malignant consequences, however, there are few studies on the strain-associated clinical pathogenic mechanisms between VAP and PLA. A total of 266 patients consist of 129 VAP and 137 PLA were included for analysis in this study. We conducted a comprehensive survey for the two groups of K. pneumoniae isolates, including phenotypic experiments, clinical epidemiology, genomic analysis, and instrumental analysis, i.e., to obtain the genomic differential profile of K. pneumoniae strains responsible for two distinct infection outcomes. We found that PLA group had a propensity for specific underlying diseases, especially diabetes and cholelithiasis. The resistance level of VAP was significantly higher than that of PLA (78.57% vs. 36%, P < 0.001), while the virulence results were opposite. There were also some differences in key signaling pathways of biochemical processes between the two groups. The combination of iucA, rmpA, hypermucoviscous phenotype, and ST23 presented in K. pneumoniae infection is more important and highly prudent for timely treatment. The present study may contribute a benchmark for the K. pneumoniae clinical screening, epidemiological surveillance, and effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingquan Guo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Phage, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Gao
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Su
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yigang Zeng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zelin Cui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haodong Liu
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - XiaoKui Guo
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongzhang Zhu
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Beiwen Wei
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Juanxiu Qin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaoye Lu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qingtian Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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10
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Li Y, Xu Y, Li W, Li J, Wu W, Kang J, Jiang H, Liu P, Liu J, Gong W, Li X, Ni C, Liu M, Chen L, Li S, Wu X, Zhao Y, Ren J. Itaconate inhibits SYK through alkylation and suppresses inflammation against hvKP induced intestinal dysbiosis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:337. [PMID: 37897551 PMCID: PMC11073195 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04971-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) is a highly lethal opportunistic pathogen that elicits more severe inflammatory responses compared to classical Klebsiella pneumoniae (cKP). In this study, we investigated the interaction between hvKP infection and the anti-inflammatory immune response gene 1 (IRG1)-itaconate axis. Firstly, we demonstrated the activation of the IRG1-itaconate axis induced by hvKP, with a dependency on SYK signaling rather than STING. Importantly, we discovered that exogenous supplementation of itaconate effectively inhibited excessive inflammation by directly inhibiting SYK kinase at the 593 site through alkylation. Furthermore, our study revealed that itaconate effectively suppressed the classical activation phenotype (M1 phenotype) and macrophage cell death induced by hvKP. In vivo experiments demonstrated that itaconate administration mitigated hvKP-induced disturbances in intestinal immunopathology and homeostasis, including the restoration of intestinal barrier integrity and alleviation of dysbiosis in the gut microbiota, ultimately preventing fatal injury. Overall, our study expands the current understanding of the IRG1-itaconate axis in hvKP infection, providing a promising foundation for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies utilizing itaconate for the treatment of hvKP infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangguang Li
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Department of General Surgery, BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yu Xu
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weizhen Li
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232000, China
| | - Jiayang Li
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Wenqi Wu
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiaqi Kang
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haiyang Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Peizhao Liu
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Juanhan Liu
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenbin Gong
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Xuanheng Li
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chujun Ni
- Department of General Surgery, BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Mingda Liu
- The Core Laboratory, Nanjing BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Lijuan Chen
- Department of General Surgery, BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Sicheng Li
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiuwen Wu
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yun Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Jianan Ren
- Research Institute of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
- Department of General Surgery, BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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11
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Russo TA, Alvarado CL, Davies CJ, Drayer ZJ, Carlino-MacDonald U, Hutson A, Luo TL, Martin MJ, Corey BW, Moser KA, Rasheed JK, Halpin AL, McGann PT, Lebreton F. Differentiation of hypervirulent and classical Klebsiella pneumoniae with acquired drug resistance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.30.547231. [PMID: 37961280 PMCID: PMC10634668 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.30.547231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Distinguishing hypervirulent (hvKp) from classical Klebsiella pneumoniae (cKp) strains is important for clinical care, surveillance, and research. Some combination of iucA, iroB, peg-344, rmpA, and rmpA2 are most commonly used, but it is unclear what combination of genotypic or phenotypic markers (e.g. siderophore concentration, mucoviscosity) most accurately predicts the hypervirulent phenotype. Further, acquisition of antimicrobial resistance may affect virulence and confound identification. Therefore, 49 K. pneumoniae strains that possessed some combination of iucA, iroB, peg-344, rmpA, and rmpA2 and had acquired resistance were assembled and categorized as hypervirulent hvKp (hvKp) (N=16) or cKp (N=33) via a murine infection model. Biomarker number, siderophore production, mucoviscosity, virulence plasmid's Mash/Jaccard distances to the canonical pLVPK, and Kleborate virulence score were measured and evaluated to accurately differentiate these pathotypes. Both stepwise logistic regression and a CART model were used to determine which variable was most predictive of the strain cohorts. The biomarker count alone was the strongest predictor for both analyses. For logistic regression the area under the curve for biomarker count was 0.962 (P = 0.004). The CART model generated the classification rule that a biomarker count = 5 would classify the strain as hvKP, resulting in a sensitivity for predicting hvKP of 94% (15/16), a specificity of 94% (31/33), and an overall accuracy of 94% (46/49). Although a count of ≥ 4 was 100% (16/16) sensitive for predicting hvKP, the specificity and accuracy decreased to 76% (25/33) and 84% (41/49) respectively. These findings can be used to inform the identification of hvKp. Importance Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) is a concerning pathogen that can cause life-threatening infections in otherwise healthy individuals. Importantly, although strains of hvKp have been acquiring antimicrobial resistance, the effect on virulence is unclear. Therefore, it is of critical importance to determine whether a given antimicrobial resistant K. pneumoniae isolate is hypervirulent. This report determined which combination of genotypic and phenotypic markers could most accurately identify hvKp strains with acquired resistance. Both logistic regression and a machine-learning prediction model demonstrated that biomarker count alone was the strongest predictor. The presence of all 5 of the biomarkers iucA, iroB, peg-344, rmpA, and rmpA2 was most accurate (94%); the presence of ≥ 4 of these biomarkers was most sensitive (100%). Accurately identifying hvKp is vital for surveillance and research, and the availability of biomarker data could alert the clinician that hvKp is a consideration, which in turn would assist in optimizing patient care.
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12
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Pajand O, Rahimi H, Badmasti F, Gholami F, Alipour T, Darabi N, Aarestrup FM, Leekitcharoenphon P. Various arrangements of mobile genetic elements among CC147 subpopulations of Klebsiella pneumoniae harboring bla NDM-1: a comparative genomic analysis of carbapenem resistant strains. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:73. [PMID: 37626377 PMCID: PMC10464136 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00960-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Certain clonal complexes (CCs) of Klebsiella pneumoniae such as CC147 (ST147 and ST392) are major drivers of blaNDM dissemination across the world. ST147 has repeatedly reported from our geographical region, but its population dynamics and evolutionary trajectories need to be further studied. METHODS Comparative genomic analysis of 51 carbapenem-nonsusceptible strains as well as three hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKp) recovered during 16-months of surveillance was performed using various bioinformatics tools. We investigated the genetic proximity of our ST147 strains with publicly available corresponding genomes deposited globally and from neighbor countries in our geographic region. RESULTS While IncL/M plasmid harboring blaOXA-48 was distributed among divergent clones, blaNDM-1 was circulated by twenty of the 25 CC147 dominant clone and were mostly recovered from the ICU. The NDM-1 core structure was bracketed by a single isoform of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) [ΔISKpn26-NDM-TnAs3-ΔIS3000-Tn5403] and was located on Col440I plasmid in 68.7% of ST392. However, various arrangements of MGEs including MITESen1/MITESen1 composite transposon or combination of MITESen1/ISSen4/IS903B/IS5/ISEhe3 on IncFIb (pB171) were identified in ST147. It seems that ST392 circulated blaNDM-1 in 2018 before being gradually replaced by ST147 from the middle to the end of sample collection in 2019. ST147 strains possessed the highest number of resistance markers and showed high genetic similarity with four public genomes that harbored blaNDM-1 on the same replicon type. Mainly, there was a convergence between clusters and isolated neighboring countries in the minimum-spanning tree. A conserved arrangement of resistance markers/MGEs was linked to methyltransferase armA which was embedded in class 1 integron in 8 isolates of ST147/ST48 high-risk clones. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the dynamic nature of blaNDM-1 transmission among K. pneumoniae in Iran that occurs both clonally and horizontally via various combinations of MGEs. This is the first analysis of Iranian ST147/NDM + clone in the global context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Pajand
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Clinical Research Development Unit, Kowsar Educational, Research and Therapeutic Hospital, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Hamzeh Rahimi
- Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzad Badmasti
- Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faeze Gholami
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Tahereh Alipour
- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Narges Darabi
- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Frank M Aarestrup
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Pimlapas Leekitcharoenphon
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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13
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Tsui CKM, Ben Abid F, Al Ismail K, McElheny CL, Al Maslamani M, Omrani AS, Doi Y. Genomic Epidemiology of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella in Qatar: Emergence and Dissemination of Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae Sequence Type 383 Strains. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0003023. [PMID: 37310284 PMCID: PMC10353355 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00030-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of carbapenem-resistant, hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae is a new threat to health care. We studied the molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in Qatar using whole-genome sequence data. We also characterized the prevalence and genetic basis of hypervirulent phenotypes and established the virulence potential using a Galleria mellonella model. Of 100 Klebsiella isolates studied, NDM and OXA-48 were the most common carbapenemases. Core genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis indicated the presence of diverse sequence types and clonal lineages; isolates belonging to Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. quasipneumoniae sequence type 196 (ST196) and ST1416 may be disseminated among several health care centers. Ten K. pneumoniae isolates carried rmpA and/or truncated rmpA2, and 2 isolates belonged to KL2, indicating low prevalence of classical hypervirulent isolates. Isolates carrying both carbapenem resistance and hypervirulence genes were confined mainly to ST231 and ST383 isolates. One ST383 isolate was further investigated by MinION sequencing, and the assembled genome indicated that blaNDM was located on an IncHI1B-type plasmid (pFQ61_ST383_NDM-5) which coharbored several virulence factors, including the regulator of the mucoid phenotype (rmpA), the regulator of mucoid phenotype 2 (rmpA2), and aerobactin (iucABCD and iutA), likely resulting from recombination events. Comparative genomics indicated that this hybrid plasmid may be present in two additional Qatari ST383 isolates. Carbapenem-resistant, hypervirulent K. pneumoniae ST383 isolates pose an emerging threat to global health due to their simultaneous hypervirulence and multidrug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clement Kin-Ming Tsui
- Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Fatma Ben Abid
- Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
- Communicable Diseases Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Khalil Al Ismail
- Communicable Diseases Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Christi Lee McElheny
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Muna Al Maslamani
- Communicable Diseases Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ali S. Omrani
- Communicable Diseases Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Yohei Doi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
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14
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Ovchinnikova OG, Treat LP, Teelucksingh T, Clarke BR, Miner TA, Whitfield C, Walker KA, Miller VL. Hypermucoviscosity Regulator RmpD Interacts with Wzc and Controls Capsular Polysaccharide Chain Length. mBio 2023; 14:e0080023. [PMID: 37140436 PMCID: PMC10294653 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00800-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a leading cause of nosocomial infections, including pneumonia, bacteremia, and urinary tract infections. Treatment options are increasingly restricted by the high prevalence of resistance to frontline antibiotics, including carbapenems, and the recently identified plasmid-conferred colistin resistance. The classical pathotype (cKp) is responsible for most of the nosocomial infections observed globally, and these isolates are often multidrug resistant. The hypervirulent pathotype (hvKp) is a primary pathogen capable of causing community-acquired infections in immunocompetent hosts. The hypermucoviscosity (HMV) phenotype is strongly associated with the increased virulence of hvKp isolates. Recent studies demonstrated that HMV requires capsule (CPS) synthesis and the small protein RmpD but is not dependent on the increased amount of capsule associated with hvKp. Here, we identified the structure of the capsular and extracellular polysaccharide isolated from hvKp strain KPPR1S (serotype K2) with and without RmpD. We found that the polymer repeat unit structure is the same in both strains and that it is identical to the K2 capsule. However, the chain length of CPS produced by strains expressing rmpD demonstrates more uniform length. This property was reconstituted in CPS from Escherichia coli isolates that possess the same CPS biosynthesis pathway as K. pneumoniae but naturally lack rmpD. Furthermore, we demonstrate that RmpD binds Wzc, a conserved capsule biosynthesis protein required for CPS polymerization and export. Based on these observations, we present a model for how the interaction of RmpD with Wzc could impact CPS chain length and HMV. IMPORTANCE Infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae continue to be a global public health threat; the treatment of these infections is complicated by the high frequency of multidrug resistance. K. pneumoniae produces a polysaccharide capsule required for virulence. Hypervirulent isolates also have a hypermucoviscous (HMV) phenotype that increases virulence, and we recently demonstrated that a horizontally acquired gene, rmpD, is required for HMV and hypervirulence but that the identity of the polymeric product(s) in HMV isolates is uncertain. Here, we demonstrate that RmpD regulates capsule chain length and interacts with Wzc, a part of the capsule polymerization and export machinery shared by many pathogens. We further show that RmpD confers HMV and regulates capsule chain length in a heterologous host (E. coli). As Wzc is a conserved protein found in many pathogens, it is possible that RmpD-mediated HMV and increased virulence may not be restricted to K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga G. Ovchinnikova
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Logan P. Treat
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tanisha Teelucksingh
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bradley R. Clarke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Taryn A. Miner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chris Whitfield
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kimberly A. Walker
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Virginia L. Miller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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15
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Martin MJ, Stribling W, Ong AC, Maybank R, Kwak YI, Rosado-Mendez JA, Preston LN, Lane KF, Julius M, Jones AR, Hinkle M, Waterman PE, Lesho EP, Lebreton F, Bennett JW, Mc Gann PT. A panel of diverse Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates for research and development. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 37141116 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae are a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. In particular, strains expressing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases pose serious treatment challenges, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to designate ESBL and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae as 'critical' threats to human health. Research efforts to combat these pathogens can be supported by accessibility to diverse and clinically relevant isolates for testing novel therapeutics. Here, we describe a panel of 100 diverse K. pneumoniae isolates that are publicly available to assist the research community in this endeavour. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on 3878 K. pneumoniae clinical isolates housed at the Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network. The isolates were cultured from 63 facilities in 19 countries between 2001 and 2020. Core-genome multilocus sequence typing and high-resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism-based phylogenetic analyses captured the genetic diversity of the collection and were used to select the final panel of 100 isolates. In addition to known multidrug-resistant (MDR) pandemic lineages, the final panel includes hypervirulent lineages and isolates with specific and diverse resistance genes and virulence biomarkers. A broad range of antibiotic susceptibilities, ranging from pan-sensitive to extensively drug-resistant isolates, are described. The panel collection, and all associated metadata and genome sequences, are available at no additional cost and will be an important resource for the research community and for the design and development of novel antimicrobial agents and diagnostics against this important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Martin
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - William Stribling
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Ana C Ong
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Rosslyn Maybank
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Yoon I Kwak
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Joshua A Rosado-Mendez
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Lan N Preston
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Katharine F Lane
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Julius
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Anthony R Jones
- Department of Virology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mary Hinkle
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Paige E Waterman
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Emil P Lesho
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Francois Lebreton
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Jason W Bennett
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick T Mc Gann
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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16
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Qian C, Zhang S, Xu M, Zeng W, Chen L, Zhao Y, Zhou C, Zhang Y, Cao J, Zhou T. Genetic and Phenotypic Characterization of Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae from Liver Abscess. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0224022. [PMID: 36598251 PMCID: PMC9927449 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02240-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cooccurrence of multidrug resistant (MDR) and hypervirulence phenotypes in liver abscess-causing Klebsiella pneumoniae (LAKp) would pose a major threat to public health. However, relatively little information is available on the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of this pathogen. This study aimed to investigate the virulence and resistance phenotype and genotype of MDR LAKp strains from 2016 to 2020. We collected 18 MDR LAKp strains from 395 liver abscess samples and characterized these strains using antimicrobial susceptibility test, string test, mucoviscosity assay, biofilm formation assay, Galleria mellonella killing assay, and whole-genome sequencing. Besides, phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses were performed on these MDR LAKp, along with 94 LAKp genomes from global sources. Most of these MDR LAKp strains exhibited resistance to cephalosporins, quinolones, and chloramphenicol. Virulence assays revealed that only half of MDR LAKp strains exhibited higher virulence than classical MDR strain K. pneumoniae MGH78578. Importantly, we identified three ST11 KL64 hypervirulence carbapenem-resistant strains carrying blaKPC-2 and one colistin-resistant strain carrying mcr-1. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 112 LAKp genomes were divided into two clades, and most of MDR LAKp strains in this study belonged to clade 1 (83.33%, 15/18). We also detected the loss of mucoviscosity mediated by mutations and ISKpn14 insertion in rmpA, and the latter representing a novel mechanism by which bacteria regulate RmpA system. This study provides novel insights into MDR LAKp and highlights the necessity for measures to prevent further spread of such organisms in hospital settings and the community. IMPORTANCE Pyogenic liver abscess is a potentially life-threatening suppurative infection of hepatic parenchyma. K. pneumoniae has emerged as a predominant pathogen of pyogenic liver abscess. Liver abscess-causing K. pneumoniae is generally considered hypervirulent K. pneumoniae and is susceptible to most antibiotics. Recently, convergence of multidrug resistant and hypervirulence phenotypes in liver abscess-causing K. pneumoniae was emerging and poses a major threat to public health. However, relatively little information is available on liver abscess-causing multidrug-resistant hypervirulent K. pneumoniae. In this study, we characterized phenotype and genotype of virulence and resistance of 18 multidrug-resistant hypervirulent liver abscess-causing K. pneumoniae strains collected from 395 pyogenic liver abscess cases in a tertiary teaching hospital over a 5-year period to enable in-depth understanding of this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changrui Qian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Siqin Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mengxin Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weiliang Zeng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lijiang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yining Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cui Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianming Cao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China
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17
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Pu D, Zhao J, Lu B, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Li Z, Zhuo X, Cao B. Within-host resistance evolution of a fatal ST11 hypervirulent carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2023; 61:106747. [PMID: 36758779 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.106747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Hypervirulent carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (hv-CRKp) has become a great threat to public health. This study reported an hv-CRKp-associated fatal infection and revealed its mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and within-host evolution. METHODS A carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae (CSKp) and 11 KPC-producing CRKp strains were isolated from a lung transplant recipient receiving continual antimicrobial therapy for 1.5 years. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) separated two clusters between CSKp and CRKp. RESULTS Further whole genome sequencing analysis found that all 11 CRKp were ST11-KL64 clones, while the CSKp was ST412-KL57. Among these 11 CRKp strains, three and one were resistant to colistin and ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ/AVI), respectively. Three different mechanisms were found to be responsible for the colistin resistance, including the insertions of two different IS (ISKpn74 and IS903B) into the same position of mgrB and one related to the efflux pump system. CAZ/AVI resistance was associated with blaKPC-2 mutation, and it was also found that increasing blaKPC-2 expression increased the MICs of CAZ/AVI, but not at the resistance level. All these 12 strains had iucABCDiutA virulence cluster and rmpA/rmpA2 genes, with higher siderophore production than a reference classic K. pneumoniae (cKp), which were thought to be hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKp). However, only the CSKp showed higher mucoviscosity according to the mucoviscosity assay. Genomic analysis showed that the rmpA variation (interrupted by ISKpn26) existed in all CRKp strains except the CSKp strain, demonstrating that hypermucoviscous phenotype assays could not accurately identify hvKp. CONCLUSION This study depicted a rapid and diverse within-host evolution of resistance in hv-CRKp of ST11-KL64 clone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni Pu
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiankang Zhao
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Binghuai Lu
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yulin Zhang
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongli Wu
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ziyao Li
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianxia Zhuo
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Cao
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
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18
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Cao H, Liang S, Zhang C, Liu B, Fei Y. Molecular Profiling of a Multi-Strain Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection Within a Single Patient. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:1367-1380. [PMID: 36937147 PMCID: PMC10017834 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s404202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The rising prevalence of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP) has outpaced our understanding of their evolutionary diversity. By straining the antimicrobial options and constant horizontal gene transfer of various pathogenic elements, CR-hvKP poses a global health threat. Methods Six KP isolates (KP1~KP6) from urine, sputum and groin infection secretion of a single patient were characterized phenotypically and genotypically. The antimicrobial susceptibility, carbapenemase production, hypermucoviscosity, serum resistance, virulence factors, MLST and serotypes were profiled. Genomic variations were identified by whole-genome sequencing and the phylogenetic differentiation was analyzed by Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR. Results All KP strains were multi-drug resistant. Four of them (KP1, KP3, KP5 and KP6) belonged to ST11-K64, with high genetic closeness (relatedness coefficient above 0.96), sharing most resistance and virulence genes. Compared with KP1, the later isolates KP3, KP5 and KP6 acquired bla KPC-1 and lost bla SHV-182 genes. KP2 and KP4 had the same clonal origin of ST35-K16 (relatedness coefficient 0.98), containing almost identical genes for resistance and virulence. They were non-mucoid and carried bla NDM-5 gene. Conclusion A co-infection with two types of CR-hvKP affiliated with different clades within a single patient amplified the treatment difficulties. In addition to source control and epidemiological surveillance, investigation of the in-host interactions between CR-hvKP variants may provide valuable treatment solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijun Cao
- Centre for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shiwei Liang
- Centre for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of China
- School of Clinical Laboratory Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chenchen Zhang
- School of Clinical Laboratory Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bao Liu
- Centre for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Fei
- Centre for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Ying Fei, Email
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19
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Hua Y, Wang J, Huang M, Huang Y, Zhang R, Bu F, Yang B, Chen J, Lin X, Hu X, Zheng L, Wang Q. Outer membrane vesicles-transmitted virulence genes mediate the emergence of new antimicrobial-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:1281-1292. [PMID: 35437096 PMCID: PMC9132476 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2065935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) is a notorious clinical pathogen that is more likely to cause severe primary and metastatic abscesses. The dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant hvKp isolates has been reported worldwide, posing a great challenge and severe clinical threat. However, the mechanisms of antimicrobial-resistant hvKp isolates prevalent worldwide are not well precise. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) secreted from gram-negative bacteria are an important vehicle for delivering effector molecules inter- and intra-species. To explore whether OMVs as the vector of virulence genes horizontal transfer among Klebsiella pneumoniae and to explain the potential mechanism for the development of antimicrobial-resistant hvKp isolates, we isolated OMVs from hvKp and classical Klebsiella pneumoniae (cKp) by sequential differential centrifugation, respectively. Then, the characteristics and contents of hvKp-OMVs and cKp-OMVs were analyzed. These hvKp-OMVs contain virulence genes, which could be transferred from hvKp horizontally to extended-spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL)-producing cKp, leading to the production of antimicrobial-resistant hypervirulent transformants. Further experiments confirmed the transformants exhibited antimicrobial resistance and hypervirulent phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. In short, this work demonstrated that hvKp-OMVs facilitated virulence genes transfer, allowing an increase in the virulence level of ESBL-producing cKp and providing a new mechanism for the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant hvKp isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuneng Hua
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyu Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei Huang
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiyi Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruyi Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Bu
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Biao Yang
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Juanjiang Chen
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Lin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiumei Hu
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Zheng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Wang
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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20
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Zhao H, He Z, Li Y, Sun B. Epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ST15 of producing KPC-2, SHV-106 and CTX-M-15 in Anhui, China. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:262. [PMID: 36319965 PMCID: PMC9624029 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02672-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: It is well known that carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has become a more problematic public health issue due to its widespread spread worldwide. In China, ST11-type CRKP is the most prevalent CRKP, but ST15-type CRKP, a recently prevalent high-risk clone, has emerged widely throughout China, posing a serious public health risk. Therefore, we conducted an epidemiological of an outbreak of ST15 CRKP of producing CTX-M-15, KPC-2 and SHV-106 in a tertiary hospital in Anhui, China, to Understanding the potential risks of the current STT15 CRKP outbreak. Results: From July 2021 to December 2021, 13 ST15 CRKP isolates were identified by collecting non-repeated clinical multidrug-resistant isolates, with all capsular typing of serotype KL19. All ST15 CRKP isolates were resistant to cephalosporins, carbapenems and quinolones, but were sensitive to amikacin, tigecycline and polymyxin B. In addition, isolates carried blaSHV−106 (100%), blaKPC−2 (69%), blaCTX−M−15 (69%), blaTEM−1B (69%), blaOXA−1 (62%) and blaLAP−2 (8%), as well as iron chelators (iutA, ybt, fyuA, ent, fepA, irp1, irp2, 100%) were detected. In phenotyping experiments, all ST15 CRKP exhibited lower growth rates than NTUH-K2044, and all ST15 CRKP did not exhibit mucoviscositty characteristics. However, in the Galleria mellonella infection model, isolates 21081212, 21081241 and 21091216 were more lethal than the hypervirulent isolates NTUH-K2044. Sequencing results showed that the genetic environment surrounding the genes blaSHV−106, blaKPC−2, blaCTX−M−15, blaOXA−1 and blaTEM−1B were all identical in the ST15 CRKP isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 13 ST15 CRKP isolates were divided into three subgroups, and when placed in global analysis, 10 of them were highly homologous to isolates from Jiangsu, two were highly homologous to isolates from Zhejiang, and one was homologous to an isolate from an unlabelled region. Conclusion: Our research shows that ST15 CRKP, which carries multiple β-lactamases genes and siderophores-encoding genes, may be evolving to hypervirulence and may have spread widely in localised areas. Therefore, environmental surveillance and clinical infection control in hospitals should be strengthened to prevent further spread of ST15 CRKP. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12866-022-02672-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhao
- grid.443847.80000 0001 0805 3594College of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang, China
| | - Zhien He
- grid.59053.3a0000000121679639Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China ,grid.59053.3a0000000121679639School of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China
| | - Yujie Li
- grid.59053.3a0000000121679639Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China ,grid.59053.3a0000000121679639School of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China
| | - Baolin Sun
- grid.59053.3a0000000121679639Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China ,grid.59053.3a0000000121679639School of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China
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21
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Jia P, Jia X, Zhu Y, Liu X, Yu W, Li R, Li X, Kang M, Xu Y, Yang Q. Emergence of a Novel NDM-5-Producing Sequence Type 4523 Klebsiella pneumoniae Strain Causing Bloodstream Infection in China. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0084222. [PMID: 35993711 PMCID: PMC9603328 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00842-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a significant infectious pathogen that causes bloodstream infections. This study aimed to genetically characterize a novel sequence type 4523 (ST4523) multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae strain recovered from the blood of a 79-year-old Chinese female patient with severe pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who ultimately died of the infection. The susceptibility testing results showed that strain 18SHX180 is nonsusceptible to cephalosporin, carbapenems, combinations of β-lactam and β-lactamase inhibitors, levofloxacin, and colistin and is only susceptible to amikacin. The phylogenetic structure showed that strain 18SHX180 belongs to a novel sequence type, ST4523, and capsule serotype K111. ST4523 is closely related to ST11, the most dominant clone of clinical carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae in China. ST4523 has 2 single-base variants in mdh and phoE. 18SHX180 showed medium virulence in Galleria mellonella and a mouse intraperitoneal infection model. PacBio Sequel and Illumina sequencing were performed to analyze the genetic characterization of 18SHX180, which contains 2 plasmids (pSHX180-NDM5 and pSHX180-1). pSHX180-NDM5 exhibits 86% coverage and 100% identity with 3 blaNDM-5-carrying plasmids and contains an additional region coding for the frmRAB operon, which permits bacteria to sense and detoxify formaldehyde. pSHX180-1 is responsible for the MDR phenotype: it carries 11 categories of genes for antimicrobial resistance [aadA16, aph(3″)-Ib, aph(6)-Id, blaSHV-182, blaTEM-1A, qacE, aac(6')-Ib-cr, mph(A), floR, qnrB6, arr-3, sul, sul2], all of which are associated with transposons and integrons located in three accessory resistance regions. The novel ST4523 K. pneumoniae strain could threaten the control of antimicrobial resistance, and its discovery calls attention to the genetic evolution of bacteria. IMPORTANCE Klebsiella pneumoniae is a significant infectious pathogen causing bloodstream infections. Due to the dissemination of carbapenemase genes, the incidence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) has increased, with high morbidity and mortality rates in immunocompromised patients. Here, we reported a novel ST4523 blaNDM-5-bearing CRKP strain initially recovered from a 79-year-old female who died of both a lower respiratory tract infection and bloodstream infection. We also describe the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of this strain. This study provides important insights into the genetic evolution of ST11 K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyao Jia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinmiao Jia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mei Kang
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingchun Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiwen Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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22
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Liang S, Cao H, Ying F, Zhang C. Report of a Fatal Purulent Pericarditis Case Caused by ST11-K64 Carbapenem-Resistant Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae. Infect Drug Resist 2022; 15:4749-4757. [PMID: 36034175 PMCID: PMC9416326 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s379654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The report describes a 44-year-old female patient who died of the rare acute purulent pericarditis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP). The genomic analysis revealed an extensively drug-resistant ST11-K64 KP strain from five isolates (blood cultures, urine, ascites, pericardial effusion, and sputum). Several high virulence (hv) and carbapenem-resistant (CR) genes were identified in the pericardial effuse isolate. The isolates showed low resistance to healthy human serum. This study highlights the potential lethality of CR-hvKP infections in patients suffering from underlying comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and chronic ailments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei Liang
- Centre for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China.,School of Clinical Laboratory Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Huijun Cao
- Centre for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Ying
- Centre for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenchen Zhang
- School of Clinical Laboratory Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
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23
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Gorrie CL, Mirčeta M, Wick RR, Judd LM, Lam MMC, Gomi R, Abbott IJ, Thomson NR, Strugnell RA, Pratt NF, Garlick JS, Watson KM, Hunter PC, Pilcher DV, McGloughlin SA, Spelman DW, Wyres KL, Jenney AWJ, Holt KE. Genomic dissection of Klebsiella pneumoniae infections in hospital patients reveals insights into an opportunistic pathogen. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3017. [PMID: 35641522 PMCID: PMC9156735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30717-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major cause of opportunistic healthcare-associated infections, which are increasingly complicated by the presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenem resistance. We conducted a year-long prospective surveillance study of K. pneumoniae clinical isolates in hospital patients. Whole-genome sequence (WGS) data reveals a diverse pathogen population, including other species within the K. pneumoniae species complex (18%). Several infections were caused by K. variicola/K. pneumoniae hybrids, one of which shows evidence of nosocomial transmission. A wide range of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes are observed, and diverse genetic mechanisms identified (mainly plasmid-borne genes). ESBLs are correlated with presence of other acquired AMR genes (median n = 10). Bacterial genomic features associated with nosocomial onset are ESBLs (OR 2.34, p = 0.015) and rhamnose-positive capsules (OR 3.12, p < 0.001). Virulence plasmid-encoded features (aerobactin, hypermucoidy) are observed at low-prevalence (<3%), mostly in community-onset cases. WGS-confirmed nosocomial transmission is implicated in just 10% of cases, but strongly associated with ESBLs (OR 21, p < 1 × 10-11). We estimate 28% risk of onward nosocomial transmission for ESBL-positive strains vs 1.7% for ESBL-negative strains. These data indicate that K. pneumoniae infections in hospitalised patients are due largely to opportunistic infections with diverse strains, with an additional burden from nosocomially-transmitted AMR strains and community-acquired hypervirulent strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire L Gorrie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
| | - Mirjana Mirčeta
- Microbiology Unit, Alfred Pathology Service, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Ryan R Wick
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Louise M Judd
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Doherty Applied Microbial Genomics (DAMG), Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Margaret M C Lam
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Ryota Gomi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Iain J Abbott
- Microbiology Unit, Alfred Pathology Service, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Nicholas R Thomson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambs, UK
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Richard A Strugnell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Nigel F Pratt
- Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Jill S Garlick
- Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Kerrie M Watson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Peter C Hunter
- Aged Care, Caulfield Hospital, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - David V Pilcher
- Intensive Care Unit, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre, School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Steve A McGloughlin
- Intensive Care Unit, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre, School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Denis W Spelman
- Microbiology Unit, Alfred Pathology Service, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Kelly L Wyres
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Adam W J Jenney
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Microbiology Unit, Alfred Pathology Service, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Kathryn E Holt
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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24
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Zhao Q, Feng Y, Zong Z. Conjugation of a Hybrid Plasmid Encoding Hypervirulence and Carbapenem Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae of Sequence Type 592. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:852596. [PMID: 35558122 PMCID: PMC9085563 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.852596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae simultaneously carrying genes encoding carbapenem resistance and hypervirulence causes fatal infections, representing a severe threat to human health. These carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvCRKP) strains are increasingly reported worldwide and have been found to belong to a variety of sequence types (STs). In this study, we report and characterized an hvCRKP strain of ST592, an uncommon ST, which caused a fatal infection in intensive care unit (ICU) in China and represents a novel type of hvCRKP. We demonstrated that this novel hvCRKP type emerged from the carbapenem-susceptible hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP) lineage of the K57 capsular type. K57 hvKP contains a pLVPK-like virulence plasmid and then acquired a conjugative blaKPC–2-carrying plasmid to form hvCRKP. The pLVPK-like virulence plasmid contains no complete conjugation module but was able to be transferred by fusion with the conjugative blaKPC–2-carrying plasmid during conjugation. This represents a new mechanism of simultaneous transfer genetic determinants of carbapenem resistance and virulence and highlights the undergoing expansion of hvCRKP, which requires rigorous monitoring and novel countermeasures to curb plasmid-mediated transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhao
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Center for Pathogen Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiyong Zong
- Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Center for Pathogen Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Infection Control, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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25
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Liu X, Wu Y, Zhu Y, Jia P, Li X, Jia X, Yu W, Cui Y, Yang R, Xia W, Xu Y, Yang Q. Emergence of colistin-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CoR-HvKp) in China. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:648-661. [PMID: 35086435 PMCID: PMC8896207 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2036078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Colistin is regarded as a last-resort agent to combat infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria, especially carbapenem-resistant isolates. In recent years, reports of colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CoRKp) are increasing. However, the molecular mechanism and relevance of colistin resistance and virulence remain unclear. Fourteen CoRKp strains were retrospectively screened from 1884 clinical K. pneumoniae isolates during 2017–2018 in China. Six CoRKp strains belonging to ST11 were MDR strains. Plasmid-mediated mobile colistin-resistance genes had a low prevalence in CoRKp. Our results revealed that up-regulated expression of two-component systems, especially phoPQ, contributed more to colistin resistance. mgrB mutation was the most common molecular mechanism of colistin resistance, caused by either nonsense mutations or insertion sequences, which drove the overexpression of phoPQ system. This study also identified three novel point mutations in pmrAB system, in which D313N mutation in pmrB was proved to increase the MIC to colistin by 16-fold. In addition, 6 out of 14 CoRKP strains independently carried hypervirulence genes. All six strains showed medium-to-high virulence phenotype compared with NTUH-K2044 strain in mice intraperitoneal challenge models. We found that 4 strains were biofilm strong producers and transcriptome analysis revealed that three of them significantly up-regulated expression of type III fimbrial shaft gene mrkA. In conclusion, our result revealed the emergence of colistin-resistant and hypervirulent MDR K. pneumoniae, which is a noticeable superbug and could cause a severe challenge to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Liu
- Medical Technology Academy, Beihua University, Jilin, Jilin Province, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yarong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peiyao Jia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinmiao Jia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Medical Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Central Research Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yujun Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Ruifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Wei Xia
- Medical Technology Academy, Beihua University, Jilin, Jilin Province, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yingchun Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qiwen Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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26
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Early Response of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes Expression in Classical, Hypervirulent, and Hybrid hvKp-MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae on Antimicrobial Stress. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 11:antibiotics11010007. [PMID: 35052884 PMCID: PMC8773033 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an increasingly important hospital pathogen. Classical K. pneumoniae (cKp) and hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKp) are two distinct evolutionary genetic lines. The recently ongoing evolution of K. pneumoniae resulted in the generation of hybrid hvKP-MDR strains. K. pneumoniae distinct isolates (n = 70) belonged to 20 sequence types with the prevalence of ST395 (27.1%), ST23 (18.6%), ST147 (15.7%), and ST86 (7.1%), and 17 capsular types with the predominance of K2 (31.4%), K57 (18.6%), K64 (10.0%), K1 (5.7%) were isolated from patients of the Moscow neurosurgery ICU in 2014-2019. The rate of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and carbapenem-resistant phenotypes were 84.3% and 45.7%, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing of five selected strains belonging to cKp (ST395K47 and ST147K64), hvKp (ST86K2), and hvKp-MDR (ST23K1 and ST23K57) revealed blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX, blaOXA-48, and blaNDM beta-lactamase genes; acr, oqx, kpn, kde, and kex efflux genes; and K. pneumoniae virulence genes. Selective pressure of 100 mg/L ampicillin or 10 mg/L ceftriaxone induced changes of expression levels for named genes in the strains belonging to cKp, hvKp, and hybrid hvKp-MDR. Obtained results seem to be important for epidemiologists and clinicians for enhancing knowledge about hospital pathogens.
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27
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Martin MJ, Corey BW, Sannio F, Hall LR, MacDonald U, Jones BT, Mills EG, Harless C, Stam J, Maybank R, Kwak Y, Schaufler K, Becker K, Hübner NO, Cresti S, Tordini G, Valassina M, Cusi MG, Bennett JW, Russo TA, McGann PT, Lebreton F, Docquier JD. Anatomy of an extensively drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak in Tuscany, Italy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2110227118. [PMID: 34819373 PMCID: PMC8640832 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110227118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
A protracted outbreak of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae started in Tuscany, Italy, in November 2018 and continued in 2020 and through 2021. To understand the regional emergence and transmission dynamics over time, we collected and sequenced the genomes of 117 extensively drug-resistant, NDM-producing K. pneumoniae isolates cultured over a 20-mo period from 76 patients at several healthcare facilities in southeast Tuscany. All isolates belonged to high-risk clone ST-147 and were typically nonsusceptible to all first-line antibiotics. Albeit sporadic, resistances to colistin, tigecycline, and fosfomycin were also observed as a result of repeated, independent mutations. Genomic analysis revealed that ST-147 isolates circulating in Tuscany were monophyletic and highly genetically related (including a network of 42 patients from the same hospital and sharing nearly identical isolates), and shared a recent ancestor with clinical isolates from the Middle East. While the blaNDM-1 gene was carried by an IncFIB-type plasmid, our investigations revealed that the ST-147 lineage from Italy also acquired a hybrid IncFIB/IncHIB-type plasmid carrying the 16S methyltransferase armA gene as well as key virulence biomarkers often found in hypervirulent isolates. This plasmid shared extensive homologies with mosaic plasmids circulating globally including from ST-11 and ST-307 convergent lineages. Phenotypically, the carriage of this hybrid plasmid resulted in increased siderophore production but did not confer virulence to the level of an archetypical, hypervirulent K. pneumoniae in a subcutaneous model of infection with immunocompetent CD1 mice. Our findings highlight the importance of performing genomic surveillance to identify emerging threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Martin
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Brendan W Corey
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Filomena Sannio
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Siena I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lindsey R Hall
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Ulrike MacDonald
- Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare System, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14215
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203
| | - Brendan T Jones
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Emma G Mills
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Casey Harless
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Jason Stam
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Rosslyn Maybank
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Yoon Kwak
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Katharina Schaufler
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- Institute of Infection Medicine, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- Institute of Infection Medicine, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Karsten Becker
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Nils-Olaf Hübner
- Central Unit for Infection Prevention and Control, University Medicine Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stefania Cresti
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Siena I-53100 Siena, Italy
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giacinta Tordini
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Siena I-53100 Siena, Italy
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Marcello Valassina
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Cusi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Siena I-53100 Siena, Italy
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Microbiologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Jason W Bennett
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Thomas A Russo
- Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare System, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14215
- Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203
- The Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203
| | - Patrick T McGann
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910
| | - Francois Lebreton
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910;
| | - Jean-Denis Docquier
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Siena I-53100 Siena, Italy;
- Centre d'Ingénierie des Protéines-InBioS, Université de Liège B-4000 Liège, Belgium
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28
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Shankar C, Basu S, Lal B, Shanmugam S, Vasudevan K, Mathur P, Ramaiah S, Anbarasu A, Veeraraghavan B. Aerobactin Seems To Be a Promising Marker Compared With Unstable RmpA2 for the Identification of Hypervirulent Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: In Silico and In Vitro Evidence. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:709681. [PMID: 34589442 PMCID: PMC8473682 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.709681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The incidence of hypervirulent (hv) carbapenem-resistant (CR) Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) is increasing globally among various clones and is also responsible for nosocomial infections. The CR-hvKp is formed by the uptake of a virulence plasmid by endemic high-risk clones or by the uptake of plasmids carrying antimicrobial resistance genes by the virulent clones. Here, we describe CR-hvKp from India belonging to high-risk clones that have acquired a virulence plasmid and are phenotypically unidentified due to lack of hypermucoviscosity. Methods Twenty-seven CRKp isolates were identified to possess rmpA2 by whole-genome sequencing; and resistance and virulence determinants were characterized. By in silico protein modeling (and validation), protein backbone stability analysis, and coarse dynamics study, the fitness of RmpA, RmpA2, and aerobactin-associated proteins-IucA and IutA, were determined to establish a reliable marker for clinical identification of CR-hvKp. Results The CR-hvKp belonged to multidrug-resistant (MDR) high-risk clones such as CG11, CG43, ST15, and ST231 and carried OXA-232 as the predominant carbapenemase followed by NDM. The virulence plasmid belonged to IncHI1B replicon type and carried frameshifted and truncated rmpA and rmpA2. This resulted in a lack of hypermucoviscous phenotype. However, functional aerobactin was expressed in all high-risk clones. In silico analysis portrayed that IucA and IutA were more stable than classical RmpA. Furthermore, IucA and IutA had lower conformational fluctuations in the functional domains than the non-functional RmpA2, which increases the fitness cost of the latter for its maintenance and expression among CR-hvKp. Hence, RmpA and RmpA2 are likely to be lost among CR-hvKp owing to the increased fitness cost while coding for essential antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors. Conclusion Increasing incidence of convergence of AMR and virulence is observed among K. pneumoniae globally, which warrants the need for reliable markers for identifying CR-hvKp. The presence of non-functional RmpA2 among high-risk clones highlights the significance of molecular identification of CR-hvKp. The negative string test due to non-functional RmpA2 among CR-hvKp isolates challenges phenotypic screening and faster identification of this pathotype. This can potentially be counteracted by projecting aerobactin as a stable, constitutively expressed, and functional marker for rapidly evolving CR-hvKp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaitra Shankar
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India
| | - Soumya Basu
- Medical & Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - Binesh Lal
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India
| | - Sathiya Shanmugam
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India
| | - Karthick Vasudevan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India
| | - Purva Mathur
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jai Prakash Narayan Apex, Trauma Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sudha Ramaiah
- Medical & Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - Anand Anbarasu
- Medical & Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences & Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - Balaji Veeraraghavan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India
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