Emergence of carbapenem resistance due to porin loss in an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strain during meropenem therapy

Activity of aztreonam/avibactam and ceftazidime/avibactam against Enterobacterales with carbapenemase-independent carbapenem resistance

Enterobacterales with carbapenemase-independent resistance to carbapenems are sometimes selected during therapy and, on rare occasions, cause outbreaks. Most have extended-spectrum or AmpC β-lactamases, together with changes to permeability or penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). Newer β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations may present useful options for infections due to these organisms. Accordingly, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute/European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing broth-microdilution was used to measure the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ceftazidime/avibactam and aztreonam/avibactam for 51 carbapenemase-negative Enterobacterales with resistance or reduced susceptibility to carbapenems: genomic sequencing of the least-susceptible organisms was also undertaken. MICs of the two avibactam combinations cross-correlated closely, but with fewer MICs (2/51 vs. 10/51) exceeding 8+4 mg/L in the case of ceftazidime/avibactam. Raised MICs for Escherichia coli were associated with PBP3 inserts together with CMY-42 β-lactamase; correlates among Enterobacter cloacae complex isolates remain elusive, with AmpC and PBP3 sequences found to be species specific. In the case of Klebsiella spp., no MICs exceeding 2 mg/L were seen for either combination. It appears that these avibactam combinations have potential against Enterobacterales with carbapenemase-independent carbapenem resistance or reduced susceptibility, with ceftazidime/avibactam being more reliably active than aztreonam/avibactam.

Mutations in ompK36 differentially impact in vitro synergy of meropenem/vaborbactam and ceftazidime/avibactam in combination with other antibiotics against KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

Objectives

Ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam are preferred agents for Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) infections and are often used in combination with other agents. We aimed to characterize the synergy of combinations against KPC-Kp with varying ompK36 genotypes.

Methods

KPC-Kp that harboured ompK36 WT, IS5 or glycine-aspartic acid duplication (GD) genotypes were selected. MICs were determined in triplicate. Synergy was assessed by time-kill assays for ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam in combination with colistin, gentamicin, tigecycline, meropenem or fosfomycin against 1 × 108 cfu/mL KPC-Kp.

Results

KPC-Kp harboured ompK36 WT (n = 5), IS5 (n = 5) or GD (n = 5); 11 were KPC-2 and 4 were KPC-3. All were susceptible to ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam. In time-kill analysis, ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam 1 × MIC exhibited mean 24 h log-kills of -2.01 and -0.84, respectively. Ceftazidime/avibactam was synergistic in combination with colistin independent of ompK36 genotype. Ceftazidime/avibactam combinations impacted by porin mutations (compared to WT) were meropenem (-5.18 versus -6.62 mean log-kill, P < 0.001) and fosfomycin (-3.98 versus -6.58, P = 0.058). Mean log-kills with meropenem/vaborbactam were greatest in combination with gentamicin (-5.36). In the presence of porin mutations, meropenem/vaborbactam killing activity was potentiated by the addition of colistin (-6.65 versus -0.70, P = 0.03) and fosfomycin (-3.12 versus 1.54, P = 0.003).

Conclusions

Our results shed new light on the synergy of ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam combinations against KPC-Kp with or without porin mutations. Killing activity of ceftazidime/avibactam with other cell wall active agents was decreased against isolates with porin mutations. On the other hand, some meropenem/vaborbactam combinations demonstrated enhanced killing in the presence of porin mutations.

Role of the Outer Membrane and Porins in Susceptibility of β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae to Ceftazidime-Avibactam

This study examined the activity of the novel antimicrobial combination ceftazidime-avibactam against Enterobacteriaceae exhibiting different outer membrane permeability profiles, specifically with or without porins and with or without expression of the main efflux pump (AcrAB-TolC). The addition of the outer membrane permeabilizer polymyxin B nonapeptide increased the antibacterial activities of avibactam alone, ceftazidime alone, and ceftazidime-avibactam against the characterized clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. This enhancement of activities was mainly due to increased passive penetration of compounds since inhibition of efflux by the addition of phenylalanine-arginine β-naphthylamide affected the MICs minimally. OmpF (OmpK35) or OmpC (OmpK36) pores were not the major route by which avibactam crossed the outer membranes of E. coli and K. pneumoniae. In contrast, Omp35 and Omp36 allowed diffusion of avibactam across the outer membrane of E. aerogenes, although other diffusion channels for avibactam were also present in that species. It was clear that outer membrane permeability and outer membrane pore-forming proteins play a key role in the activity of ceftazidime-avibactam. Nevertheless, the MICs of ceftazidime-avibactam (with 4 mg/liter avibactam) against the ceftazidime-resistant clinical isolates of the three species of Enterobacteriaceae studied were ≤ 8 mg/liter, regardless of outer membrane permeability changes resulting from an absence of defined porin proteins or upregulation of efflux.

Colistin resistance mechanisms in Klebsiella pneumoniae strains from Taiwan

Colistin is one of the antibiotics of last resort for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. This study showed that capsular type K64 (50%) and ST11 (53.9%) are the prevalent capsular and sequence types in the colistin-resistant strains in Taiwan. The interruption of transcripts (38.5%) and amino acid mutation (15.4%) in mgrB are the major mechanisms contributing to colistin resistance. In addition, novel single amino acid changes in MgrB (Stop48Tyr) and PhoQ (Leu26Pro) were observed to contribute to colistin resistance.

Impact of carbapenem heteroresistance among clinical isolates of invasive Escherichia coli in Chongqing, southwestern China

Although heteroresistance is common in a wide range of microorganisms, carbapenem heteroresistance among invasive Escherichia coli infections has not been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of carbapenem heteroresistance and to identify risk factors for its acquisition. A case-control study was conducted at a 3200-bed teaching hospital in Chongqing, southwestern China. Successive and non-duplicate nosocomial E. coli isolates (n = 332) were obtained from July 2011 to June 2013. Bloodstream isolates made up 50.6% of the strains collected. The rates of heteroresistance were 25.0% to imipenem, 17.2% to ertapenem, and 3.9% to meropenem. The population analysis profile revealed the presence of subpopulations with higher carbapenem resistance, showing MICs ranging from 2.0-128.0mg/L. Male gender, invasive intervention, antibiotic use and bacterial extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production contributed to invasive infections by carbapenem-heteroresistant E. coli (CHEC). The production of ESBL was identified as the common independent risk factor for heteroresistance to both ertapenem and imipenem. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed clonal diversity among the CHEC isolates. Most importantly, characterization of two successive E. coli strains isolated from the same patient indicated that carbapenem resistance evolved from heteroresistance. In conclusion, the high prevalence of heteroresistance to carbapenem among invasive E. coli merits great attention. Routine detection of ESBLs and the prudent use of imipenem and ertapenem are advocated. The early targeted intervention should be formulated to reduce CHEC infection and carbapenem resistance of E. coli.

Carbapenemase genes among multidrug resistant gram negative clinical isolates from a tertiary hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania

The burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rapidly growing across antibiotic classes, with increased detection of isolates resistant to carbapenems. Data on the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in developing countries is limited; therefore, in this study, we determined the prevalence of carbapenemase genes among multidrug resistant gram negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) isolated from clinical specimens in a tertiary hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania. A total of 227 MDR-GNB isolates were analyzed for carbapenem resistance genes. For each isolate, five different PCR assays were performed, allowing for the detection of the major carbapenemase genes, including those encoding the VIM-, IMP-, and NDM-type metallo-beta-lactamases, the class A KPC-type carbapenemases, and the class D OXA-48 enzyme. Of 227 isolates, 80 (35%) were positive for one or more carbapenemase gene. IMP-types were the most predominant gene followed by VIM, in 49 (21.59%) and 28 (12%) isolates, respectively. Carbapenemase genes were most detected in K. pneumoniae 24 (11%), followed by P. aeruginosa 23 (10%), and E. coli with 19 isolates (8%). We have demonstrated for the first time a high prevalence of MDR-GNB clinical isolates having carbapenem resistance genes in Tanzania. We recommend routine testing for carbapenem resistance among the MDR-GNB particularly in systemic infections.

Outbreak caused by an ertapenem-resistant, CTX-M-15-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 101 clone carrying an OmpK36 porin variant

Although numerous studies have documented outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) possessing various carbapenemases, reports on outbreaks due to CRKP possessing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and/or AmpCs with porin lesions have been limited. Here, we describe an outbreak caused by an ertapenem-resistant, CTX-M-15-producing clonal K. pneumoniae strain expressing an OmpK36 porin variant. From May 2012 to November 2012, 37 ertapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates phenotypically negative for carbapenemase production were recovered from 19 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit of a Greek hospital. The isolates were either susceptible or intermediate to other carbapenems and resistant to all remaining β-lactams but cefotetan. Phenotypic and molecular analysis revealed the presence in all isolates of the blaCTX-M-15 gene on a conjugative 100-kb plasmid, disruption in the expression of the ompK35 gene, and the production of an Ompk36 porin variant. The index case was a patient admitted from another hospital. Active surveillance upon admission and on a weekly basis was immediately initiated; environmental samples were also periodically tested. Molecular typing showed that all clinical isolates as well as two ertapenem-resistant environmental K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to the same clonal type and were assigned to multilocus sequence typing (MLST) sequence type 101 (ST101). As all colonized/infected patients were hospitalized during overlapping periods, cross-infection was considered the main route for the dissemination of the outbreak strain. Despite reinforcement of infection control measures and active surveillance, the outbreak lasted approximately 7 months. Identification of hidden carriers upon admission and by screening on a weekly basis was found valuable for early recognition and subsequent successful management of the outbreak.

Carbapenems: past, present, and future

In this review, we summarize the current "state of the art" of carbapenem antibiotics and their role in our antimicrobial armamentarium. Among the β-lactams currently available, carbapenems are unique because they are relatively resistant to hydrolysis by most β-lactamases, in some cases act as "slow substrates" or inhibitors of β-lactamases, and still target penicillin binding proteins. This "value-added feature" of inhibiting β-lactamases serves as a major rationale for expansion of this class of β-lactams. We describe the initial discovery and development of the carbapenem family of β-lactams. Of the early carbapenems evaluated, thienamycin demonstrated the greatest antimicrobial activity and became the parent compound for all subsequent carbapenems. To date, more than 80 compounds with mostly improved antimicrobial properties, compared to those of thienamycin, are described in the literature. We also highlight important features of the carbapenems that are presently in clinical use: imipenem-cilastatin, meropenem, ertapenem, doripenem, panipenem-betamipron, and biapenem. In closing, we emphasize some major challenges and urge the medicinal chemist to continue development of these versatile and potent compounds, as they have served us well for more than 3 decades.