PER-1 is still widespread in Turkish hospitals among Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia: Evolution of Antimicrobial Resistance and Implications for Therapy

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), a non-lactose-fermenting gram-negative bacillus, is a common cause of nosocomial infections in critically ill or debilitated patients, particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and infections of urinary tract, intra-abdominal, wounds, skin/soft tissue, and bloodstream. PA rarely affects healthy individuals, but may cause serious infections in patients with chronic structural lung disease, comorbidities, advanced age, impaired immune defenses, or with medical devices (e.g., urinary or intravascular catheters, foreign bodies). Treatment of pseudomonal infections is difficult, as PA is intrinsically resistant to multiple antimicrobials, and may acquire new resistance determinants even while on antimicrobial therapy. Mortality associated with pseudomonal VAP or bacteremias is high (> 35%) and optimal therapy is controversial. Over the past three decades, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among PA has escalated globally, via dissemination of several international multidrug resistant "epidemic" clones. We discuss the importance of PA as a cause of pneumonia including health care-associated pneumonia, hospital-acquired pneumonia, VAP, the emergence of AMR to this pathogen, and approaches to therapy (both empirical and definitive).

Characterization of antibiotic resistance profiles in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from burn patients

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) in burn patients in Algeria.

METHODS

Between April 2016 and October 2019, 47 non-redundant isolates of PA were collected from 47 burn patients admitted to the Department of Burns at the Military Hospital of Algiers in Algeria. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by agar diffusion and the Phoenix automated method. Resistance genes were identified by PCR, and molecular typing of isolates was carried out by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) sequences-polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

Among the 47 non-redundant MDR PA strains isolated, 59.57% were phenotypically ESBLs-positive, and 100% were phenotypically MBL-positive. The ESBL-positive isolates were subsequently screened for six groups of bla genes encoding ESBL-type enzymes, namely blaCTX-M2, blaPER, blaTEM, blaSHV, blaVEB, and blaGES. Out of the 28 ESBL-producing strains, 23 (82.14%) were blaCTX-M2 positive; 18 (38.29%) were blaPER positive, and 16 (34.04%) were blaTEM positive, while 5 (17.9%) were co-harboring blaCTX-M2, blaTEM, and blaPER genes. The blaSHV, blaVEB, and blaGES genes were not detected in any of the ESBL positive isolates. Since all isolates were MBL-positive, all 47 strains were screened for the blaNDM-1, blaIMP, blaVIM genes that produce MBLs; however, none of these genes were detected. Additional screening for the oprD gene demonstrated that 45 (95.74%) of the isolates were positive for this gene. Finally, ERIC PCR revealed 11 distinct PA clones among the blaCTX-M2 positive strains.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to report the presence of CTX-M2-producing PA in the North Africa region and the first to detect blaCTX-M2-positive and blaPER-positive PA clinical isolates in Algeria, therefore demonstrating the spread of such MDR strains to this part of the world. Identification of bacterial genotypic alterations that confer antibiotic resistance is critical in determining the most effective antimicrobial strategies to be employed. Therefore, our findings could potentially facilitate clinical decision making regarding the antibiotics of choice for the treatment of burn patients that suffer from PA infections in Algeria.

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases: an update on their characteristics, epidemiology and detection

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Gram-negative pathogens are a major cause of resistance to expanded-spectrum β-lactam antibiotics. Since their discovery in the early 1980s, they have spread worldwide and an are now endemic in Enterobacterales isolated from both hospital-associated and community-acquired infections. As a result, they are a global public health concern. In the past, TEM- and SHV-type ESBLs were the predominant families of ESBLs. Today CTX-M-type enzymes are the most commonly found ESBL type with the CTX-M-15 variant dominating worldwide, followed in prevalence by CTX-M-14, and CTX-M-27 is emerging in certain parts of the world. The genes encoding ESBLs are often found on plasmids and harboured within transposons or insertion sequences, which has enabled their spread. In addition, the population of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli is dominated globally by a highly virulent and successful clone belonging to ST131. Today, there are many diagnostic tools available to the clinical microbiology laboratory and include both phenotypic and genotypic tests to detect β-lactamases. Unfortunately, when ESBLs are not identified in a timely manner, appropriate antimicrobial therapy is frequently delayed, resulting in poor clinical outcomes. Several analyses of clinical trials have shown mixed results with regards to whether a carbapenem must be used to treat serious infections caused by ESBLs or whether some of the older β-lactam-β-lactamase combinations such as piperacillin/tazobactam are appropriate. Some of the newer combinations such as ceftazidime/avibactam have demonstrated efficacy in patients. ESBL-producing Gram-negative pathogens will continue to be major contributor to antimicrobial resistance worldwide. It is essential that we remain vigilant about identifying them both in patient isolates and through surveillance studies.

Activity of imipenem/relebactam against Pseudomonas aeruginosa producing ESBLs and carbapenemases

BACKGROUND

ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa are prevalent in, for example, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Latin America, though rarer elsewhere. Because P. aeruginosa readily mutate to become carbapenem resistant via loss of OprD, isolates producing ESBLs are often as broadly resistant as those producing carbapenemases. We hypothesized that: (i) relebactam might overcome class A carbapenemases directly in P. aeruginosa; and (ii) relebactam's inhibition of AmpC, which gives a generalized potentiation of imipenem against the species, might restore imipenem susceptibility in OprD-deficient ESBL producers.

METHODS

MICs were determined using CLSI agar dilution for P. aeruginosa isolates producing ESBLs, principally VEB types, and for those producing GES-5, KPC and other carbapenemases.

RESULTS

Relebactam potentiated imipenem by around 4-8-fold for most P. aeruginosa isolates producing VEB and other ESBLs; however, MICs were typically only reduced to 4-16 mg/L, thus mostly remaining above EUCAST's susceptible range and only partly overlapping CLSI's intermediate range. Strong (approx. 64-fold) potentiation was seen for isolates producing KPC carbapenemases, but only 2-fold synergy for those with GES-5. Predictably, potentiation was not seen for isolates with class B or D carbapenemase activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Relebactam did potentiate imipenem against ESBL-producing P. aeruginosa, which are mostly imipenem resistant via OprD loss, but this potentiation was generally insufficient to reduce imipenem MICs to the clinical range. Imipenem resistance owing to KPC carbapenemases was reversed by relebactam in P. aeruginosa, just as for Enterobacterales.

Prophylactic application of antibiotics selects extended-spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemases producing Gram-negative bacteria in the oral cavity

Prophylactic administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics in surgery can change the oral microbiome and induce colonization of oral cavity with Gram-negative bacteria including multidrug (MDR) or extensively drug resistant (XDR) organisms which can lead to lower respiratory tract infections. The aim of the study was to analyse the Gram-negative isolates obtained from oral cavity of the mechanically ventilated patients in ICUs, after prophylactic application of antibiotics and their resistance mechanisms and to compare them with the isolates obtained from tracheal aspirates from the same patients. The antibiotic susceptibility was determined by broth dilution method. PCR was applied to detect genes encoding β-lactamases. Marked diversity of Gram-negative bacteria and resistance mechanisms was found. High resistance rates and high rate of bla_CTX-M and carbapenemase encoding genes (bla_VIM-1 , bla_OXA-48 ) were found among Klebsiella pneumoniae. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to harbour bla_VIM and in one strain bla_PER-1 gene, whereas Acinetobacter baumannii produced OXA-23-like and OXA-24/40-like oxacillinases and was XDR in all except one case. All XDR isolates belong to international clonal lineage II (IC II). The main finding of the study is that the prophlylactic application of antibiotics in surgery intensive care units (ICUs) is associated with the colonization of oral cavity and lower respiratory tract with Gram-negative bacteria. The identity of Gram-negative bacteria in oral cavity reflected those found in endotracheal aspirates leading to conclusion that oral swab as non-invasive specimen can predict the colonization of lower respiratory tract with resistant Gram-negative organisms and the risk for development of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Carbapenemase -producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from Turkey: first report of P. aeruginosa high-risk clones with VIM-5- and IMP-7-type carbapenemases in a tertiary hospital

We investigated the presence of carbapenemases in carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, which were collected over a 14-month period in a Turkish hospital, with in-depth molecular characterization of carbapenemase-producing isolates. Among 45 study isolates, 2 isolates were identified as carbapenemase producers by both Carba NP and Carbapenem Inactivation Method tests, and only 1 of them gave a positive result in polymerase chain reaction tests for a carbapenemase gene (bla_VIM). Whole genome sequencing of the 2 isolates revealed the presence of bla_VIM-5 gene in an ST308 isolate, while the other one expressed IMP-7 in an ST357 isolate; both STs are considered high-risk clones. The 2 carbapenemase-producing isolates were multidrug resistant, as they harbored other resistance determinants, including a variant of the recently described plasmid-encoded fluoroquinolone resistance determinant crpP gene, crpP-2. We report for the first time P. aeruginosa high-risk clones carrying VIM-5- and IMP-7-type carbapenemases with multiple resistance determinants in Turkey.

Epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in bloodstream infections

Antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens is a worldwide challenge leading high morbidity and mortality in clinical settings. Multidrug resistant patterns in gram-positive and -negative bacteria have resulted in difficult-to-treat or even untreatable infections with conventional antimicrobials. Since the early identification of causative microorganisms and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in patients with bacteremia and other serious infections is lacking in many healthcare institutions, broad spectrum antibiotics are liberally and mostly unnecessarily used. Such practice has, in turn, caused dramatic increases in emerging resistance and when coupled with poor practice of infection control, resistant bacteria can easily be disseminated to the other patients and the environment. Thus, availability of updated epidemiological data on antimicrobial resistance in frequently encountered bacterial pathogens will be useful not only for deciding on empirical treatment strategies, but also devising an effective antimicrobial stewardship program in hospitals.

Emerging broad-spectrum resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii: Mechanisms and epidemiology

Multidrug resistance is quite common among non-fermenting Gram-negative rods, in particular among clinically relevant species including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. These bacterial species, which are mainly nosocomial pathogens, possess a diversity of resistance mechanisms that may lead to multidrug or even pandrug resistance. Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) conferring resistance to broad-spectrum cephalosporins, carbapenemases conferring resistance to carbapenems, and 16S rRNA methylases conferring resistance to all clinically relevant aminoglycosides are the most important causes of concern. Concomitant resistance to fluoroquinolones, polymyxins (colistin) and tigecycline may lead to pandrug resistance. The most important mechanisms of resistance in P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii and their most recent dissemination worldwide are detailed here.

Distribution of β-lactamases in carbapenem-non-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

In this study, the distribution of β-lactamase genes among 55 consecutive Acinetobacter baumannii isolates with reduced susceptibility to imipenem collected at Prince Salman Hospital (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) from February-June 2011 was investigated. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by Etest and were interpreted against Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) breakpoints. PCR was used to search for β-lactamase genes, insertion sequence ISAba1 and class 1 integrons. Imipenem MICs ranged from 2μg/mL to ≥32μg/mL and resistance to aztreonam, cefepime and ceftazidime was widespread, with MIC₉₀ values (MIC required to inhibit 90% of the isolates) of >256μg/mL. bla_TEM, bla_ADC and bla_OXA-51-like genes were universal, whilst bla_OXA-23, bla_PER, bla_GES and bla_OXA-24 were found in 60.0%, 49.1%, 34.5% and 3.6% of isolates, respectively. Genes for SHV, CTX-M, VEB, KPC, OXA-58 and metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) were not detected. ISAba1 was universal and consistently present upstream of bla_OXA-51, bla_OXA-23, bla_OXA-24 and bla_ADC; class 1 integrons also were universal. Notably, 28/55 isolates had both an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBLs) and an acquired bla_OXA-23 gene. High-level carbapenem resistance (MIC≥32μg/mL) was consistently associated with bla_OXA-23 or bla_OXA-24, whereas low-level resistance (MIC of 2-8μg/mL) was associated with the presence of ESBLs of GES or PER type and/or ISAba1-upregulated bla_OXA-51-like. In conclusion, bla_TEM, bla_OXA-23, bla_PER and bla_GES-like genes were prevalent, often in combination. MBLs remained absent and high-level carbapenem resistance consistently correlated with the presence of bla_OXA-23 or bla_OXA-24.

Current epidemiology and growing resistance of gram-negative pathogens

In the 1980s, gram-negative pathogens appeared to have been beaten by oxyimino-cephalosporins, carbapenems, and fluoroquinolones. Yet these pathogens have fought back, aided by their membrane organization, which promotes the exclusion and efflux of antibiotics, and by a remarkable propensity to recruit, transfer, and modify the expression of resistance genes, including those for extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), carbapenemases, aminoglycoside-blocking 16S rRNA methylases, and even a quinolone-modifying variant of an aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme. Gram-negative isolates--both fermenters and non-fermenters--susceptible only to colistin and, more variably, fosfomycin and tigecycline, are encountered with increasing frequency, including in Korea. Some ESBLs and carbapenemases have become associated with strains that have great epidemic potential, spreading across countries and continents; examples include Escherichia coli sequence type (ST)131 with CTX-M-15 ESBL and Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 with KPC carbapenemases. Both of these high-risk lineages have reached Korea. In other cases, notably New Delhi Metallo carbapenemase, the relevant gene is carried by promiscuous plasmids that readily transfer among strains and species. Unless antibiotic stewardship is reinforced, microbiological diagnosis accelerated, and antibiotic development reinvigorated, there is a real prospect that the antibiotic revolution of the 20th century will crumble.

In vitro activity of ceftazidime+NXL104 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other non-fermenters

BACKGROUND

NXL104 potentiates ceftazidime and ceftaroline against Enterobacteriaceae with extended-spectrum, AmpC, KPC and OXA β-lactamases. We examined whether similar potentiation was obtained against non-fermenters, which are less permeable than Enterobacteriaceae and have more potent efflux.

METHODS

MICs of ceftazidime+NXL104 (with NXL104 at 4 mg/L) and comparators were determined by CLSI agar dilution for: (i) Pseudomonas aeruginosa AmpC mutants and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing transconjugants; (ii) clinical P. aeruginosa isolates with AmpC enzymes, ESBLs or up-regulated efflux; (iii) P. aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia complex isolates from cystic fibrosis patients; and (iv) Acinetobacter baumannii with OXA carbapenemases, which also compromise ceftazidime.

RESULTS

NXL104 reversed AmpC-mediated ceftazidime resistance in P. aeruginosa, reducing MICs for fully derepressed mutants and isolates to ≤ 8 mg/L. NXL104 also reversed ceftazidime resistance caused by the ESBL PER-1, but not that due to OXA ESBLs or VEB-1 enzyme. Efflux-mediated resistance was unaffected. Resistance to ceftazidime in isolates of P. aeruginosa and the B. cepacia complex from patients with cystic fibrosis was variably overcome, generally to greater effect for B. cepacia. NXL104 had little effect on MICs of ceftazidime for A. baumannii isolates with OXA carbapenemases.

CONCLUSIONS

The potentiation of ceftazidime against many β-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa and B. cepacia complex strains confirms that NXL104 penetrates these organisms. The utility of the combination against these pathogens will depend on the local prevalence of strains with β-lactamase- versus efflux-mediated resistance. The lack of potentiation against A. baumannii may reflect failure of NXL104 to penetrate these bacteria to inhibit relevant (OXA-23, -40, -51 and -58) carbapenemases.

Activity of the siderophore monobactam BAL30072 against multiresistant non-fermenters

BACKGROUND

We tested the activity of BAL30072, a novel siderophore monobactam, against multiresistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia group and Acinetobacter spp. and against laboratory P. aeruginosa strains with defined resistance mechanisms.

METHODS

MICs were determined on Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 2,2' bipyridyl to induce iron transport; comparators were aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem and piperacillin/tazobactam.

RESULTS

BAL30072 was strikingly active against Acinetobacter baumannii, with 73% of 200 carbapenemase-producing isolates, most of them belonging to the UK-dominant OXA-23 clone 1 and SE clone lineages, susceptible at 1 mg/L and 89% at 8 mg/L. Resistance nevertheless was seen in a few representatives of these clones and appeared commoner among isolates representing other A. baumannii clones. Sixty-eight per cent of 50 B. cepacia complex isolates from cystic fibrosis (CF) were susceptible to BAL30072 at 1 mg/L and 78% at 8 mg/L, compared with only 22% susceptible to aztreonam at 8 mg/L. Activity against P. aeruginosa was good, though less dramatic, with 36% of 50 (mostly multiresistant) CF isolates susceptible at 8 mg/L, compared with 12% susceptible to aztreonam at 8 mg/L. BAL30072 was active against 11/19 metallo-beta-lactamase-producing P. aeruginosa at 8 mg/L compared with 3/19 for aztreonam (12/19 versus 8/19 at 16 mg/L). Studies on P. aeruginosa mutants, isolates and transconjugants showed that BAL30072 was affected by efflux, AmpC and by a few uncommon acquired beta-lactamases, including some extended-spectrum OXA types and PER-1.

CONCLUSIONS

BAL30072 displayed impressive activity against many carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii, particularly against the two clones most prevalent in the UK, and also against B. cepacia complex isolates from CF; it was more active than aztreonam against P. aeruginosa.

BEL-2, an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase with increased activity toward expanded-spectrum cephalosporins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate recovered in Belgium produced a novel extended-spectrum ss-lactamase, BEL-2, differing from BEL-1 by a single Leu162Phe substitution. That modification significantly altered the kinetic properties of the enzyme, increasing its affinity for expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. The bla(BEL-2) gene was identified from a P. aeruginosa isolate clonally related to another bla(BEL-1)-positive isolate.

Has the era of untreatable infections arrived?

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern, with fears expressed that we shortly will run out of antibiotics. In reality, the picture is more mixed, improving against some pathogens but worsening against others. Against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)--the highest profile pathogen--the range of treatment options is expanding, with daptomycin, linezolid and tigecycline all launched, and telavancin, ceftobiprole, ceftaroline and dalbavancin anticipated. There is a greater problem with enterococci, especially if, as in endocarditis, bactericidal activity is needed and the isolate has high-level aminoglycoside resistance; nevertheless, daptomycin, telavancin and razupenem all offer cidal potential. Against Enterobacteriaceae, the rapid and disturbing spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, AmpC enzymes and quinolone resistance is forcing increased reliance on carbapenems, with resistance to these slowly accumulating via the spread of metallo-, KPC and OXA-48 beta-lactamases. Future options overcoming some of these mechanisms include various novel beta-lactamase-inhibitor combinations, but none of these overcomes all the carbapenemase types now circulating. Multiresistance that includes carbapenems is much commoner in non-fermenters than in the Enterobacteriaceae, depending mostly on OXA carbapenemases in Acinetobacter baumannii and on combinations of chromosomal mutation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. No agent in advanced development has much to offer here, though there is interest in modified, less-toxic, polymyxin derivatives and in the siderophore monobactam BAL30072, which has impressive activity against A. baumannii and members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex. A final and surprising problem is Neisseria gonorrhoeae, where each good oral agent has been eroded in turn and where there is now little in reserve behind the oral oxyimino cephalosporins, to which low-level resistance is emerging.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa - a phenomenon of bacterial resistance

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the leading nosocomial pathogens worldwide. Nosocomial infections caused by this organism are often hard to treat because of both the intrinsic resistance of the species (it has constitutive expression of AmpC beta-lactamase and efflux pumps, combined with a low permeability of the outer membrane), and its remarkable ability to acquire further resistance mechanisms to multiple groups of antimicrobial agents, including beta-lactams, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. P. aeruginosa represents a phenomenon of bacterial resistance, since practically all known mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance can be seen in it: derepression of chromosomal AmpC cephalosporinase; production of plasmid or integron-mediated beta-lactamases from different molecular classes (carbenicillinases and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases belonging to class A, class D oxacillinases and class B carbapenem-hydrolysing enzymes); diminished outer membrane permeability (loss of OprD proteins); overexpression of active efflux systems with wide substrate profiles; synthesis of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (phosphoryltransferases, acetyltransferases and adenylyltransferases); and structural alterations of topoisomerases II and IV determining quinolone resistance. Worryingly, these mechanisms are often present simultaneously, thereby conferring multiresistant phenotypes. This review describes the known resistance mechanisms in P. aeruginosa to the most frequently administrated antipseudomonal antibiotics: beta-lactams, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones.

Activity of cephalosporin CXA-101 (FR264205) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia group strains and isolates

Twenty-five years after its introduction, ceftazidime remains the most active cephalosporin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nevertheless, resistance arises by upregulation of AmpC beta-lactamase, by efflux or, less often, via acquisition of additional beta-lactamases. Mutational resistance is especially prevalent among cystic fibrosis (CF) isolates. We examined the activity of a novel oxyimino-aminothiazolyl cephalosporin, CXA-101 (FR264205), against P. aeruginosa strains with defined resistance mechanisms as well as against multiresistant clinical CF isolates of P. aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CXA-101 were determined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute agar dilution method and were 0.25-0.5 mg/L for 'typical' P. aeruginosa strains without acquired resistance, compared with 1-2 mg/L for ceftazidime. MICs of CXA-101 were 0.5-2 mg/L and 4 mg/L, respectively, for isolates with upregulated efflux or total AmpC derepression, compared with 2-16 mg/L and 32-128 mg/L for ceftazidime. Full activity was retained against OprD mutants resistant to imipenem. Substantive resistance (MICs > or = 32 mg/L) arose for transconjugants with PER, VEB and OXA extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and for metallo-beta-lactamase producers, with reduced susceptibility (MIC = 8 mg/L) for transconjugants with OXA-2, OXA-3 and NPS-1 enzymes. MICs of CXA-101 were 2- to 16-fold below those of ceftazidime for multiresistant P. aeruginosa from CF patients, but ranged up to > 128 mg/L; values for B. cepacia from CF resembled those for ceftazidime.

Genetic structure associated with blaOXA-18, encoding a clavulanic acid-inhibited extended-spectrum oxacillinase

The genetic environment of the bla(OXA-18) gene encoding a peculiar clavulanic acid-inhibitable Ambler class D extended-spectrum beta-lactamase was determined from the prototype OXA-18-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa MUS clinical isolate. An 8.2-kb genomic DNA fragment containing bla(OXA-18) was cloned from P. aeruginosa MUS. Although most oxacillinases are located in integrons, bla(OXA-18) lacked gene cassette-specific features. It was bracketed by two duplicated sequences containing ISCR19, a novel insertion sequence of the ISCR family of mobile elements; DeltaintI1, a truncated integrase gene; and a truncated Deltaaac6'-Ib gene cassette. It is likely that ISCR19 was at the origin of the bla(OXA-18) gene mobilization by a rolling-circle transposition event followed by homologous recombination. Furthermore, analysis of the cloned genomic DNA fragment revealed the presence of the integron-containing bla(OXA-20) gene. Concomitantly, three P. aeruginosa clinical isolates, displaying a synergy image as determined by double-disk diffusion tests on cloxacillin-containing plates, were isolated from three patients hospitalized in different wards over a 9-month period at the Saint-Luc University hospital (Brussels, Belgium). These isolates were positive by PCR for bla(OXA-18) and bla(OXA-20) genes, genetically related to P. aeruginosa MUS as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and carried the same bla(OXA-18)/bla(OXA-20)-associated genetic structures. This report characterized the genetic elements likely at the origin of bla(OXA-18) gene mobilization in P. aeruginosa and suggests the spread of oxacillin-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in P. aeruginosa at the Saint-Luc University hospital of Brussels, Belgium.

Imported PER-1 producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa, PER-1 producing Acinetobacter baumanii and VIM-2-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains in Hungary

Introduction

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumanii are important nosocomial pathogens with wide intrinsic resistance. However, due to the dissemination of the acquired resistance mechanisms, such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and metallo beta-lactamase (MBL) production, multidrug resistant strains have been isolated more often.

Case presentation

We report a case of a Hungarian tourist, who was initially hospitalized in Egypt and later transferred to Hungary. On the day of admission PER-1-producing P. aeruginosa, PER-1 producing A. baumannii, SHV-5-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and VIM-2-producing P. aeruginosa isolates were subcultured from the patient's samples in Hungary. Comparing the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of the P. aeruginosa strains from the patient to the P. aeruginosa strains occurring in this hospital, we can state that the PER-1-producing P. aeruginosa and VIM-2-producing P. aeruginosa had external origin.

Conclusion

This is the first report of PER-1-producing P. aeruginosa,and PER-1-producing A. baumanii strains in Hungary. This case highlights the importance of spreading of the beta-lactamase-mediated resistance mechanisms between countries and continents, showing the importance of careful screening and the isolation of patients arriving from a different country.

Minor extended-spectrum beta-lactamases

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are usually plasmid-mediated enzymes that confer resistance to a broad range of beta-lactams. Initially, resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in Gram-negative rods was mainly due to the dissemination of TEM- and SHV-type ESBLs, which are point mutants of the classic TEM and SHV enzymes with extended substrate specificity. During the last ten years, CTX-M-type ESBLs have become increasingly predominant, but less frequent class A beta-lactamases have also been described, including SFO, BES, BEL, TLA, GES, PER and VEB types. While several of these latter are rarely identified, or are very localised, others are becoming locally prevalent, or are increasingly isolated worldwide. In addition, mutations can extend the spectrum of some OXA-type beta-lactamases to include expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, and several of these enzymes are considered to be ESBLs.

Molecular epidemiology of PER-1 extended spectrum beta-lactamase among gram-negative bacteria isolated at a tertiary care hospital

The bla(PER-1) presence was sought by PCR in 289 ceftazidime resistant Gram-negative bacteria isolated at Dokuz Eylul University Hospital (Turkey) between 1998 and 2003. PER-1 production rates were 32.3, 33.9, 14.9 and 37.9% in the 1998-2000 period, 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively. bla(PER-1) was detected in 46.2 and 35.9% of ceftazidime-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii isolates, respectively. ERIC-PCR results revealed that dissemination of two endemic clones for both P. aeruginosa (X and Y) and A. baumannii (A and B) was responsible for the high prevalence. Results of the conjugation tests and plasmid curing experiments suggested that bla(PER-1) was located on the chromosome in the representative strains. It was also shown for the first time that bla(PER-1) in a clinical isolate was associated with class-1 integron which could facilitate dissemination of bla(PER-1) among bacteria.

Nosocomial outbreak of OXA-18-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Tunisia

Following systematic screening for ceftazidime-resistant (CAZ-R) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 24 isolates producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) were recovered during a 24-month period at the National Bone Marrow Transplant Centre of Tunisia. These isolates were from seven immunocompromised patients and from environmental swabs. ESBLs inhibited by clavulanic acid were detected by double-disk diffusion tests. Isoelectric focusing revealed that these isolates produced two to four beta-lactamases with pIs of 5.5, 6.1, 6.4, 7.6 or 8.2, and PCR detected the presence of bla(OXA-18), bla(SHV) and bla(TEM) genes in 24, 21 and two isolates, respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis defined two dominant genotypic groups: group A (16 isolates) and group B (four isolates). Sequencing of PCR products from representative isolates identified the bla(OXA-18) gene and revealed nucleotide sequences belonging to the bla(SHV-1) and bla(TEM-1) genes. Isolates producing OXA-18 belonged to genomic group A and were isolated from four immunocompromised patients in the haematology and graft units, and from two wash-basins in the graft unit. No immunocompromised patient harboured the clonal epidemic strain upon admission. This is the first report of the OXA-18-type ESBL in P. aeruginosa in Tunisia, and the first description of an outbreak caused by an OXA-18-producing strain of P. aeruginosa.

Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections with PER-1 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase in Warsaw, Poland: further evidence for an international clonal complex

Forty-one Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates with extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) from a hospital in Warsaw, Poland, were analyzed. Thirty-seven isolates from several wards were collected over 9 months in 2003 and 2004. The isolates were recovered from patients with multiple types of infections, mostly respiratory tract and postoperative wound infections. All 41 isolates produced the PER-1 ESBL, originally observed in Turkey but recently also identified in several countries in Europe and the Far East. The bla(PER-1) gene resided within the Tn1213 composite transposon, which was chromosomally located. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed the presence of three separate clones among the isolates. Two of these, corresponding to sequence types (STs) ST244 and ST235, were responsible for parallel outbreaks. Apart from PER-1, all the isolates produced OXA-2 oxacillinase. ST235 isolates additionally expressed a novel enzyme, OXA-74, differing by one amino acid from the OXA-17 ESBL identified originally in PER-1- and OXA-2-positive P. aeruginosa isolates from Ankara, Turkey, in 1992. These earlier Ankara isolates with PER-1, OXA-2, and OXA-17 were also classified into ST235, which is a single-locus variant of two other STs, ST227 and ST230. ST227, ST230, and ST235 all correspond to the recently described clonal complex BG11, which seems to be internationally distributed, having spread in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, and much of Russia. It is associated with various beta-lactamases, including PER-1 and VIM metalloenzymes. This work further demonstrates the value of MLST of P. aeruginosa.

Occurrence of PER-1 producing clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Japan and their susceptibility to doripenem

The acquisition of resistance by extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) has been reported primarily for Enterobacteriaceae, but there are few reports on the isolation of ESBL-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PER-1-type ESBL producing P aeruginosa has been found in various regions around the world but there are no reports of clinical isolates in Japan. During our susceptibility surveillance studies over a 10 year period, we found four clinical isolates resistant to ceftazidime due to production of PER-1. They were resistant to ceftazidime but susceptible in the presence of clavulanic acid, a class A beta-lactamase inhibitor. The strains had the ability to hydrolyze ceftazidime. They also had the gene for PER-1-type ESBL. This is the first report of the isolation of PER-1 producing strains in Japan. These four strains were resistant to ceftazidime, cefepime and aztreonam with MICs of 64 microg/ml or more, but were more susceptible to carbapenem antibiotics. In particular, doripenem, which is a novel carbapenem antibiotic, showed good antibacterial activity with a MIC of 2 or 4 microg/ml, which was more potent than meropenem and imipenem. Doripenem also showed good therapeutic efficacy against a systemic infection of mice with a PER-1 producing strain, and was also more potent in vivo than imipenem or meropenem.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infections: risk factors and treatment outcome related to expression of the PER-1 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase

BACKGROUND

Bloodstream infection (BSI) due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) has relevant clinical impact especially in relation to drug resistance determinants. The PER-1 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) is a common enzyme conferring high-level resistance to anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins. Risk factors and treatment outcome of BSI episodes caused by PER-1-positive Pa (PER-1-Pa) strains were compared to those caused by ESBL-negative Pa isolates (ESBL-N-Pa).

METHODS

Twenty-six BSI cases due to ceftazidime-resistant Pa strains have been investigated. MIC values of anti-pseudomonal drugs were determined by the Etest method (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden). The double-disk synergy test was used to detect ESBL production. PCR amplification and DNA sequencing were used to characterize ESBL types. Clinical records of BSI-patients were examined retrospectively. Demographic data, underlying diseases (McCabe-Jackson classification and Charlson weighted index), risk factors, antimicrobial therapy, and treatment outcome were evaluated in cases due to ESBL-positive and cases due to ESBL-N-Pa isolates. Unpaired Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Fisher's exact test and the chi2 test were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Nine Pa isolates expressed the PER-1 ESBL; the remaining 17 isolates did not produce ESBLs. Severe sepsis (P = 0.03), bladder and intravascular catheters (both P = 0.01), immunosuppressive therapy (P = 0.04), and mechanical ventilation (P = 0.03) were significantly associated with BSI due to PER-1-Pa. Empirical treatment (P = 0.02) and treatment after ID/AST (P < 0.01) were rarely adequate in PER-1-Pa cases. With regard to treatment outcome, 77.8% BSI cases due to PER-1-Pa vs. 28.6% cases due to ESBL-N-Pa isolates failed to respond (P < 0.03). All cases due to PER-1-Pa that were treated with carbapenems (alone or in combination with amikacin) failed to respond. In contrast, 7/8 cases due to ESBL-N-Pa given carbapenems were responders.

CONCLUSION

Therapeutic failure and increased hospital costs are associated with BSI episodes caused by PER-1-Pa strains. Thus, recognition and prompt reporting of ESBL-production appears a critical factor for the management of patients with serious P. aeruginosa infections.