Successful Treatment of an AML Patient Infected with Hypervirulent ST463 Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Harboring Rare Carbapenem-Resistant Genes blaAFM-1 and blaKPC-2 Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Background

Carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA) is a common hospital-acquired bacterium. It exhibits high resistance to many antibiotics, including ceftazidime/avibactam and cefteolozane/tazobactam. The presence of carbapenem-resistant genes and co-existence Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) and metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) further inactivated all β-lactams. Understanding the resistance genes of CRPA can help in uncovering the resistance mechanism and guiding anti-infective treatment. Herein, we reported a case of perianal infection with hypervirulent ST463 Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Case Presentation

The case is a 32-year-old acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient with fever and septic shock during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and the pathogen was finally identified as a highly virulent sequence type 463 (ST463) P. aeruginosa harboring carbapenem-resistant genes blaAFM-1 and blaKPC-2, which was detected in the bloodstream and originated from a perianal infection. The strain was resistant to ceftazidime/avibactam but successfully treated with polymyxin B, surgical debridement, and granulocyte engraftment after HSCT. The AML was cured during the 19-month follow-up.

Conclusion

This case emphasizes the importance of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in identifying microbes with rare resistant genes, and managing CRPA, especially in immunocompromised patients. Polymyxin B may be the least resistant option.

bla KPC-2 overexpression and bla GES-5 carriage as major imipenem/relebactam resistance mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa high-risk clones ST463 and ST235, respectively, in China

Pseudomonas aeruginosa high-risk clones pose severe threats to public health. Here, we characterize the imipenem/relebactam (IR) resistance mechanisms in P. aeruginosa high-risk clones sequence type 235 (ST235) and ST463 in China. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined, and Illumina short-read sequencing was performed for 1,168 clinical carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA) isolates. The gene copy number and expression level were analyzed by Illumina sequencing depth and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, respectively. Resistance conferred by bla GES-5 was evaluated by cloning experiments. ST463 and ST235 accounted for 9.8% (115/1,168) and 4.5% (53/1,168) of total isolates, respectively, and showed high frequencies of extensively drug-resistant and difficult-to-treat resistant phenotypes. The overall IR-resistant rate in CRPA was 21.0% (245/1,168). However, the IR resistance rate was 81.7% (94/115) in ST463-PA and 52.8% (28/53) in ST235-PA. Of the ST463 isolates, 92.2% (106/115) were Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing P. aeruginosa (KPC-PA), and all 94 IR-resistant ST463-PA produced KPC-2. Compared to IR-susceptible ST463 KPC-2-PA, IR-resistant ST463 KPC-2-PA exhibited significantly higher bla KPC-2 copy numbers and expression levels. In ST463 KPC-2-PA, 16 mg/L relebactam resulted in additional fourfold reductions in imipenem MIC50/90 values compared to 4 mg/L relebactam. In ST235, 1.9% (1/53) carried bla IMP carbapenemase and 54.7% (29/53) carried bla GES carbapenemase. Other than the IMP producer, all 27 IR-resistant ST235-PA produced GES-5. Cloning experiments revealed that imipenem resistance in bla GES-5-carrying PAO1 transformants was generally unaffected by relebactam. In conclusion, IR-resistant CRPA isolates in China were mainly distributed in P. aeruginosa high-risk clones ST463 and ST235. The major underlying IR resistance mechanisms were bla KPC-2 overexpression and bla GES-5 carriage.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa High-Risk Sequence Type 463 Co-Producing KPC-2 and AFM-1 Carbapenemases, China, 2020-2022

We report the clonal spread and evolution of high-risk Pseudomonas aeruginosa sequence type 463 co-producing KPC-2 and AFM-1 carbapenemases isolated from hospital patients in China during 2020-2022. Those strains pose a substantial public health threat and surveillance and stricter infection-control measures are essential to prevent further infections.

Emergence of ST463 exoU-Positive, Imipenem-Nonsusceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates in China

This study investigated the resistance mechanisms and the distribution and proportions of virulence genes, including exoU, in 182 imipenem-nonsusceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa (INS-PA) strains collected from China in 2019. There was no obvious prevalent sequence type or concentrated evolutionary multilocus sequence typing (MLST) type on the INS-PA phylogenetic tree in China. All of the INS-PA isolates harbored β-lactamases with/without other antimicrobial mechanisms, such as gross disruption of oprD and overexpression of efflux genes. Compared with exoU-negative isolates, exoU-positive isolates (25.3%, 46/182) presented higher virulence in A549 cell cytotoxicity assays. The southeast region of China had the highest proportion (52.2%, 24/46) of exoU-positive strains. The most frequent exoU-positive strains belonged to sequence type 463 (ST463) (23.9%, 11/46) and presented multiple resistance mechanisms and higher virulence in the Galleria mellonella infection model. The complex resistance mechanisms in INS-PA and the emergence of ST463 exoU-positive, multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa strains in southeast China indicated a challenge that might lead to clinical treatment failure and higher mortality. IMPORTANCE This study investigates the resistance mechanisms and distribution and proportions of virulence genes of imipenem-nonsusceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa (INS-PA) isolates in China in 2019. Harboring PDC and OXA-50-like genes is discovered as the most prevalent resistance mechanism in INS-PA, and the virulence of exoU-positive INS-PA isolates was significantly higher than that of exoU-negative INS-PA isolates. There was an emergence of ST463 exoU-positive INS-PA isolates in Zhejiang, China, most of which presented multidrug resistance and hypervirulence.

Genomic and phylogenetic analysis of a multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST463 strain co-carring blaKPC-2, blaOXA-246 and blaOXA-486 in China

OBJECTIVES

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widely distributed opportunistic pathogen that can cause a variety of infections. The emergence of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa has complicated clinical treatment. Here, we report the genome sequence of a P. aeruginosa strain co-carrying bla_KPC-2, bla_OXA-246, and bla_OXA-486. Genetic and phylogenetic characteristics of this strain were investigated.

METHODS

The Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform was used to sequence the strain's genome. MLST v2.22.1 was used to analyze the multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence genes were identified using ABRicate V1.0.1. Phylogenetic relationship analysis was performed using snippy.

RESULTS

The genomic sequence of P. aeruginosa PA23 consists of 229 contigs with a combined length of 7,193,462 bp. It was determined that PA23 belonged to ST463 and serotype O4, which is associated with a high-risk clone. The strain was resistant to almost all antibiotics tested, except colistin. The genome contained twenty-three antimicrobial resistance genes, including bla_KPC-2, bla_OXA-246 and bla_OXA-486. A total of five P. aeruginosa strains both carrying bla_KPC-2,bla_OXA-246 and bla_OXA-486 can be retrieved from the NCBI database. All of these strains are ST463 and serotype O4. With the exception of one strain, the other strains were spread across two neighboring Chinese provinces and were clonal related.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, we reported the genome sequence of a multi-drug resistant P. aeruginosa ST463 strain containing 23 ARGs in China. This clone has the potential to become a dominant endemic clone in eastern China. To prevent clonal dissemination, continuous surveillance is necessary in the future.

Characteristics of rare ST463 carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates from blood

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to elucidate resistance to carbapenems and fluoroquinolones, the transmission mechanism of bla_KPC-2, and the virulence characteristics of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain (TL3773) isolated in East China.

METHODS

The virulence and resistance mechanisms of TL3773 were investigated by whole genome sequencing (WGS), comparative genomic analysis, conjugation experiments, and virulence assays.

RESULTS

This study isolated carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa from blood resistant to carbapenems. The patient's clinical data showed poor prognosis compounded by multiple sites of infection. WGS showed that TL3773 carried aph (3')-IIb, bla_PAO, bla_OXA-486, fosA, catB7, and two crpP resistance genes on chromosome, and the carbapenem resistance gene bla_KPC-2 on plasmid. We identified a novel crpP gene named TL3773-crpP2. Cloning experiments proved that TL3773-crpP2 was not the primary cause of fluoroquinolone resistance in TL3773. GyrA and ParC mutations may confer fluoroquinolone resistance. The bla_KPC-2 genetic environment was IS26-TnpR-ISKpn27-bla_KPC-2-ISKpn6-IS26-Tn3-IS26, potentially mediating the transmission of bla_KPC-2 in P. aeruginosa. The overall virulence of TL3773 was lower than that of PAO1. However, the pyocyanin and biofilm formation of TL3773 was higher than that of PAO1. WGS further indicated that TL3773 was less virulent than PAO1. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TL3773 was most similar to the P. aeruginosa isolate ZYPA29 from Hangzhou, China. These observations further indicate that ST463 P. aeruginosa is rapidly spreading.

CONCLUSIONS

The threat of ST463 P. aeruginosa harbouring bla_KPC-2 is emergent and may pose a threat to human health. More extensive surveillance and effective actions are urgently needed to control its further spread.

An XDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST463 Strain with an IncP-2 Plasmid Containing a Novel Transposon Tn6485f Encoding bla(IMP-45) and bla(AFM-1) and a Second Plasmid with Two Copies of bla(KPC-2)

The increased carbapenem resistance among Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a serious health issue worldwide. We reported an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) P. aeruginosa PA30 isolate which belonged to sequence type ST463 and contained an IncP-2 plasmid (pPA30_1) carrying two genes, namely, bla_IMP-45 and bla_AFM-1, which encoded the metallo-β-lactamases AFM-1 and IMP-45, respectively. Additionally, the strain had a plasmid (pPA30_2) with two copies of the bla_KPC-2 genes embedded. The plasmid pPA30_1 was highly similar to the previously reported plasmid pHS17-127, which has the same genetic architecture. This plasmid contained bla_IMP-45, located in a second gene cassette of the integron In786, carried by a Tn1403-derivative transposon acquiring an ISCR27n3-bla_AFM-1 structure. Interestingly, the transposon in pPA30_1 acquired an extra ISCR1-qnrVC6 module and formed a novel transposon, which was subsequently annotated as Tn6485f. The bla_KPC-2 genes in pPA30_2 underwent duplication due to the inversion of the IS26-bla_KPC-2-IS26 element, which resulted in two copies of bla_KPC-2. IMPORTANCE The ST463 clone is an emerging high-risk sequence type that is spreading with bla_KPC-2-containing plasmids. The core bla_KPC-2 genetic platform is ISKpn27-bla_KPC-2-ISKpn6 in almost all samples, and the adjacent region beyond the core platform varies by IS26-mediated inversion or duplication events, amplifying the bla_KPC-2 gene copies. The ST463 P. aeruginosa strain PA30 in our study contains another two metallo-β-lactamase genes, namely, bla_IMP-45 and bla_AFM-1, in a novel transposon Tn6485f that is harbored by the IncP-2 megaplasmid. The pPA30_1 carrying bla_IMP-45 and bla_AFM-1 is highly related to pHS17-127 from the ST369 P. aeruginosa strain, indicating the putative dissemination of the megaplasmid between different clones.

In vivo acquisition of blaKPC-2 with low biological cost in blaAFM-1-harboring ST463 hypervirulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a patient with hematologic malignancy

OBJECTIVES

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing sequence type (ST) 463 Pseudomonas aeruginosa are increasingly prevalent in China. This study aims to investigate how bla_KPC-2 is acquired in ST463 P. aeruginosa during antimicrobial therapy.

METHODS

Two extensively drug-resistant P. aeruginosa strains, B1122 and U1121, were respectively isolated from blood and urine of a patient during carbapenem therapy. Whole-genome sequences were obtained, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. Plasmid transferability and stability were examined. Bacterial growth kinetics, biofilm formation, and virulence level was assessed.

RESULTS

U1121 and B1122 were only susceptible to amikacin and intermediately susceptible to colistin. They were isogenic ST463 P. aeruginosa strains and shared the same chromosome-encoded resistance genes, including bla_AFM-1. This is the first report of chromosomal integration of bla_AFM-1 in P. aeruginosa mediated by ISCR29. pU1121 and pB1122, which shared almost identical backbone, were the sole plasmids in U1121 and B1122, respectively, differing by an insertion region containing two copies of bla_KPC-2 genes observed on pU1121. Sequence alignment revealed that pU1121 might evolve in vivo from pB1122 via IS26-mediated continuous genetic rearrangement in response to selective challenge from carbapenem. pU1121 was not self-transmissible and could be stably maintained in the host in the absence of antibiotic. Both U1121 and B1122 were hypervirulent, and no differences on virulence were recorded between them. However, U1121 exhibited significant impaired growth in comparison with B1122.

CONCLUSION

ST463 P. aeruginosa can capture bla_KPC-2 through horizontal transfer of insertion sequence under antibiotic selection pressure, which does decrease the fitness but does not impair the virulence of the ancestor.

Emergence of a KPC-90 Variant that Confers Resistance to Ceftazidime-Avibactam in an ST463 Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain

Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) has become a serious challenge in the clinic. Recently, the prevalence of CRPA isolates carrying the bla_KPC-2 gene has been increasing in China. Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) has shown good efficacy against large portions of KPC-2-producing CRPA strains. However, with the increasing usage of this drug, CZA resistance in CRPA strains has been reported. Here, we reported for the first time that resistance of the ST463 CRPA strain to CZA was caused by a novel variant in the KPC gene that arose after CZA exposure. The CRPA strain PA2207 is a carbapenem- and CZA-resistant strain that harbors a mutated bla_KPC gene, named bla_KPC-90. Cloning and expression of bla_KPC-90 in Escherichia coli DH5α revealed that KPC-90 led to a 64-fold increase in the MIC value of CZA. Conjugation experiments further confirmed that bla_KPC-90 was located on a conjugative plasmid. Whole-genome sequencing analysis showed that this plasmid had high sequence similarity to a previously reported novel bla_KPC-2-harboring plasmid in a clinical P. aeruginosa strain isolated in China. In addition, overexpression of an efflux pump (MexXY-OprM) might be associated with the CZA resistance phenotype, as determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and efflux pump inhibition experiments. For the first time, we reported a KPC variant, KPC-90, in a clinical ST463 CRPA strain with CZA resistance that was mediated by a 2 amino acid insertion outside the KPC omega-loop region. Our study further highlights that diverse KPC variants that mediate CZA resistance have emerged in the CRPA strain. Furthermore, KPC-90 mutation combined with efflux pump overexpression resulted in a high level of resistance to CZA in the PA2207 isolate. Effective surveillance should be conducted to prevent CZA resistance from spreading in the CRPA strain.

IMPORTANCE For the first time, we reported a KPC variant, KPC-90, in a clinical ST463 CRPA strain with CZA resistance. CZA resistance was mediated by a 2 amino acid insertion outside the KPC omega-loop region in CRPA. Our study further emphasized that CZA resistance caused by bla_KPC gene mutation could be selected in CRPA after CZA therapy. Considering the widespread presence of the ST463 CRPA strain in China, clinicians should pay attention to the risk of the development of CZA resistance in CRPA strains under treatment pressure.

Bloodstream Infections Caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producing P. aeruginosa Sequence Type 463, Associated With High Mortality Rates in China: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objectives

Recently, KPC-producing P. aeruginosa has rapidly emerged and expanded in East China. Here we described the clinical impact and characteristics of bloodstream infections (BSIs) from the dominant KPC-producing CRPA belonging to Sequence Type (ST) 463.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study was performed with CRPA BSI cases from 2019 to 2020 in a hospital in East China. Clinical characteristics, risk factors, and all-course mortality were evaluated. All CRPA isolates had whole-genome sequencing, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and serum resistance assay. Representative isolates were tested for virulence in a Galleria mellonella infection model.

Results

Among the 50 CRPA BSI cases, ST463 predominated (48.0%). In multivariate analysis, we found three independent risk factors for fatal outcome: KPC carriage (OR 4.8; CI95% 1.0-23.7; P = 0.05), Pitt bacteremia score (OR 1.3; CI95% 1.0-1.6; P = 0.02), and underlying hematological disease (OR 8.5; CI95% 1.6-46.4; P = 0.01). The baseline clinical variables were not statistically different across STs, however the 28-day mortality was significantly higher in ST463 cases than that in non-ST463 cases (66.7% vs 33.3%, P = 0.03). ExoU and exoS virulence genes coexisted in all ST463 isolates, and the carbapenem resistant gene bla _KPC were produced in almost all ST463 isolates, significantly higher than in the non-ST463 group(95.8% vs 7.7%, P<0.001). ST463 CRPA isolates also showed higher resistance rates to antipseudomonal cephalosporins, monobactam, and fluoroquinolones. And ST463 CRPA was confirmed hypervirulence in the larvae model. The genome of one ST463 CRPA strain showed that the bla _KPC-2 gene was the sole resistance gene located on a 41,104bp plasmid pZYPA01, carried on a 7-kb composite transposon-like element flanked by two IS26 elements (IS26-Tn3-tnpA-ISKpn27-bla _KPC-2-ISKpn6-IS26). Plasmid from various species presented core bla _KPC-2 was franked by mobile genetic element ISKpn27 and ISKpn6.

Conclusions

In the ST463 CRPA BSI cohort, the mortality rates were higher than those in the non-ST463 CRPA BSI. The ST463 CRPA clone coharboring the bla _KPC and exoU/exoS genes emerged and spread in East China, which might develop to a new threat in the clinic. Our results suggest that the surveillance of the new high-risk clone, ST463 CRPA, should be strengthened in China, even worldwide in the future.

A Potential High-Risk Clone of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST463

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common opportunistic pathogens, which causes severe nosocomial infections because of its well-known multidrug-resistance and hypervirulence. It is critical to curate routinely the epidemic P. aeruginosa clones encountered in the clinic. The aim of the present study was to investigate the connection between virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance profiles in epidemic clones. Herein, we found that ST463 (O4), ST1212 (O11), and ST244 (O5) were prevalent in 30 isolates derived from non-cystic fibrosis patients, based on multilocus sequence type (MLST) and serotype analysis. All isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) and each was resistance to at least three classes of antibiotics in antimicrobial susceptibility tests, which was consistent with the presence of the abundant resistance genes, such as bla OXA-50, bla PAO, aph(3'), catB7, fosA, crpP, and bla KPC-2. Notably, all bla KPC-2 genes were located between ISKpn6-like and ISKpn8-like mobile genetic elements. In addition, classical exotoxins encoded by exoU, exoS, and pldA were present in 43.44% (13/40), 83.33% (25/30), and 70% (21/30) of the isolates, respectively. The expression of phz operons encoding the typical toxin, pyocyanin, was observed in 60% of isolates (18/30) and was quantified using triple quadrupole liquid chromatograph mass (LC/MS) assays. Interestingly, compared with other MLST types, all ST463 isolates harbored exoU, exoS and pldA, and produced pyocyanin ranging from 0.2 to 3.2 μg/mL. Finally, we evaluated the potential toxicity of these isolates using hemolysis tests and Galleria mellonella larvae infection models. The results showed that ST463 isolates were more virulent than other isolates. In conclusion, pyocyanin-producing ST463 P. aeruginosa, carrying diverse virulence genes, is a potential high-risk clone.

Emergence and Expansion of a Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clone Are Associated with Plasmid-Borne bla KPC-2 and Virulence-Related Genes

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major opportunistic pathogen and one of the leading bacterial species causing health care-associated infections. Carbapenems are the most effective antimicrobial agents for the treatment of severe infections caused by P. aeruginosa However, our recent surveillance demonstrated that the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA) reached 38.67% in Zhejiang, China. By analyzing CRPA isolates collected from patients from 2006 to 2018, we found that 33% of CRPA isolates carried the gene bla _KPC-2, which conferred high-level resistance to carbapenems and other β-lactams. In particular, a CRPA clone, ST463 (sequence type 463), emerged and has become the predominant CRPA clone among the population. Genome sequencing demonstrated that ST463 expansion was associated with plasmid-borne bla _KPC-2 The mobile element flanking bla _KPC-2, the type IV secretion system, and the successful expansion of clone ST463 might have further favored bla _KPC-2 spread in P. aeruginosa Molecular clock analysis dated the emergence of clone ST463 to around 2007. Genome-wide association analysis showed that 567 genes were associated with clone ST463, including several known virulence genes related to the biosynthesis of lipooligosaccharide (LOS) O-antigens and exotoxin. These findings indicate that ST463 is expanding with plasmid-borne bla _KPC-2 and virulence-related genes in nosocomial infections, and close surveillance should be undertaken in the future.IMPORTANCE Health care-associated infections, also known as nosocomial infections, are the most frequent adverse events in health care delivery worldwide, causing high rates of morbidity and mortality and high health care costs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the leading bacterial species causing health care-associated infections. Carbapenems are the most effective antimicrobial agents for the treatment of its severe infections. However, the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA) has been increasing rapidly in recent years, and our surveillance demonstrated that the prevalence of CRPA reached 38.67% in Zhejiang, China. Genome sequencing of CRPA isolates over a decade showed that a CRPA clone (ST463) emerged recently. The clone is highly resistant to β-lactams, including carbapenems, and fluoroquinolones. Genome-wide association analysis showed that the clone expanded with virulence-related genes and the plasmid-borne carbapenem-resistant gene bla _KPC-2 These findings are of significant public health importance, as the information will facilitate the control and minimization of CRPA nosocomial infections.

A novel plasmid carrying carbapenem-resistant gene bla KPC-2 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA1011 (ST463) was isolated from a patient in a surgical intensive care unit. PCR detection showed that PA1011 carried the bla_KPC-2 gene. A plasmid was isolated and sequenced using the Illumina NextSeq 500 and PacBio RSII sequencing platforms. The plasmid was named pPA1011 and carried the carbapenem-resistant gene bla_KPC-2. pPA1011 was a 62,793 bp in length with an average G+C content of 58.8%. It was identified as a novel plasmid and encoded a novel genetic environment of bla_KPC-2 gene (ΔIS6-Tn3-ISKpn8-bla_KPC-2-ISKpn6-IS26).