Jussara Kasuko Palmeiro

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Group B Streptococcal Isolates in Southern Brazil

ABSTRACT One-hundred sixty-eight group B streptococcal (GBS) isolates from a Brazilian hospital were phenotypically and genotypically characterized. Isolates were recovered from human sources from April 2006 to May 2008 and classified as either invasive, noninvasive, or colonizing isolates. Classical methods for serotyping and antibiotic resistance profiling were employed. Clonal groups were also defined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results showed that susceptibility to beta-lactam antimicrobials was predominant among the isolates. Only 4.7% were resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin. The erm(B) gene was widely detected in our GBS isolates, according to our phenotypic results (constitutive macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B [cMLSB] resistance phenotype), and the erm(A) gene was also detected in some isolates. MLSB resistance was restricted to strains isolated from patients with noninvasive infections and carriers. Serotype Ia was predominant (38.1%), serotype IV isolates were found at a high frequency (13.1%), and few isolates of serotype III were identified (3%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis results revealed a variety of types, reflecting the substantial genetic diversity among GBS strains, although a great number of isolates could be clustered into two major groups with a high degree of genetic relatedness. Three main PFGE clonal groups were found, and isolates sharing the same PFGE type were grouped into different serotypes. Furthermore, in a few cases, isolates from the same patients and possessing the same PFGE type were of different serotypes. These findings could be related to the occurrence of capsular switching by horizontal transfer of capsular genes.

Streptococcus agalactiae in Brazil: serotype distribution, virulence determinants and antimicrobial susceptibility

BackgroundGroup B Streptococcus (GBS) remains a major cause of neonatal sepsis and is also associated with invasive and noninvasive infections in pregnant women and non-pregnant adults, elderly and patients with underlying medical conditions. Ten capsular serotypes have been recognized, and determination of their distribution within a specific population or geographical region is important as they are major targets for the development of vaccine strategies. We have evaluated the characteristics of GBS isolates recovered from individuals with infections or colonization by this microorganism, living in different geographic regions of Brazil.MethodsA total of 434 isolates were identified and serotyped by conventional phenotypic tests. The determination of antimicrobial susceptibility was performed by the disk diffusion method. Genes associated with resistance to erythromycin (ermA, ermB, mefA) and tetracycline (tetK, tetL, tetM, tetO) as well as virulence-associated genes (bac, bca, lmb, scpB) were investigated using PCR. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to examine the genetic diversity of macrolide-resistant and of a number of selected macrolide-susceptible isolates.ResultsOverall, serotypes Ia (27.6%), II (19.1%), Ib (18.7%) and V (13.6%) were the most predominant, followed by serotypes IV (8.1%) and III (6.7%). All the isolates were susceptible to the beta-lactam antimicrobials tested and 97% were resistant to tetracycline. Resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin were found in 4.1% and 3% of the isolates, respectively. Among the resistance genes investigated, tetM (99.3%) and tetO (1.8%) were detected among tetracycline-resistant isolates and ermA (39%) and ermB (27.6%) were found among macrolide-resistant isolates. The lmb and scpB virulence genes were detected in all isolates, while bac and bca were detected in 57 (13.1%) and 237 (54.6%) isolates, respectively. Molecular typing by PFGE showed that resistance to erythromycin was associated with a variety of clones.ConclusionThese findings indicate that GBS isolates circulating in Brazil have a variety of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, and suggest that macrolide-resistant isolates may arise by both clonal spread and independent acquisition of resistance genes.

Maternal group B streptococcal immunization: capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-based vaccines and their implications on prevention.

Group B streptococcal (GBS) capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-based conjugate vaccine, which includes types Ia, Ib, II, III, and V, could potentially prevent neonatal, pediatric, adult, and pregnancy-associated diseases. However, since GBS CPS types included in that vaccine are prevalent serotypes found in North America and Europe, it may not provide the necessary protection for individuals in countries in which other capsular types have been found.

Fosfomycin susceptibility of isolates with blaKPC-2 from Brazil.

caused by Plasmodium vivaxmalaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2009; 81:758e62. 4. McMorrow ML, Aidoo M, Kachur SP. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests in elimination settingsecan they find the last parasite? Clin Microbiol Infect 2011;17:1624e31. 5. Perandin F, Manca N, Calderaro A, Piccolo G, Galati L, Ricci L, et al. Development of a real-time PCR assay for detection of Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, and Plasmodium ovale for routine clinical diagnosis. J Clin Microbiol 2004;42: 1214e9. 6. Hanscheid T, Grobusch MP. How useful is PCR in the diagnosis of malaria? Trends Parasitol 2002;18:395e8. 7. Snounou G, Viriyakosol S, Jarra W, Jarra W, Pinheiro L, do Rosario VE, et al. Identification of the four human malaria parasite species in field samples by the polymerase chain reaction and detection of a high prevalence of mixed infections. Mol Biochem Parasitol 1993;58:283e92. 8. Singh B, Bobogare A, Cox-Singh J, Snounou G, Abdullah MS, Rahman HA. A genusand species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction malaria detection assay for epidemiologic studies. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1999;60:687e92. 9. Singh B, Kim Sung L, Matusop A, Radhakrishnan A, Shamsul SS, Cox-Singh J,et al.A large focusof naturally acquiredPlasmodium knowlesi infections in human beings. Lancet 2004;363:1017e24. 10. Abdul-Ghani R, Al-Mekhlafi AM, Karanis P. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for malarial parasites of humans: would it come to clinical reality as a point-of-care test? Acta Trop 2012;122:233e40. 11. Poon LL, Wong BW, Ma EH, Chan KH, Chow LM, Abeyewickreme W, et al. Sensitive and inexpensive molecular test for falciparum malaria: detecting Plasmodium falciparum DNA directly from heat-treated blood by loop-mediated isothermal amplification. Clin Chem 2006;52:303e6. 12. Chen JH, Lu F, Lim CS, Kim JY, Ahn HJ, Suh IB, et al. Detection of Plasmodium vivax infection in the Republic of Korea by loopmediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Acta Trop 2009; 113:61e5. 13. Polley SD, Mori Y, Watson J, Perkins MD, Gonz alez IJ, Notomi T, et al. Mitochondrial DNA targets increase sensitivity of malaria detection using loop-mediated isothermal amplification. J Clin Microbiol 2010;48:2866e71. 14. Han ET, Watanabe R, Sattabongkot J, Khuntirat B, Sirichaisinthop J, Iriko H, et al. Detection of four Plasmodium species by genusand species-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification for clinical diagnosis. J Clin Microbiol 2007;45:2521e8. 15. Paris DH, Imwong M, Faiz AM, Hasan M, Yunus EB, Silamut K, et al. Loop-mediated isothermal PCR (LAMP) for the diagnosis of falciparum malaria. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2007;77:972e6. 16. Poschl B, Waneesorn J, Thekisoe O, Chutipongvivate S, Karanis P. Comparative diagnosis of malaria infections by microscopy, nested PCR, and LAMP in northern Thailand. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010;83:56e60. 17. Putaporntip C, Buppan P, Jongwutiwes S. Improved performance with saliva and urine as alternative DNA sources for malaria diagnosis by mitochondrial DNA-based PCR assays. Clin Microbiol Infect 2011;17:1484e91. 18. Nwakanma DC, Gomez-Escobar N, Walther M, Crozier S, Dubovsky F, Malkin E, et al. Quantitative detection of Plasmodium falciparum DNA in saliva, blood, and urine. J Infect Dis 2009;199:1567e74. 19. Buppan P, Putaporntip C, Pattanawong U, Seethamchai S, Jongwutiwes S. Comparative detection of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum DNA in saliva and urine samples from symptomatic malaria patients in a low endemic area. Malar J 2010;9:72. 20. Sutherland CJ, Hallett R. Detecting malaria parasites outside the blood. J Infect Dis 2009;199:1561e3. 21. Ochert AS, Boulter AW, Birnbaum W, Johnson NW, Teo CG. Inhibitory effect of salivary fluids on PCR: potency and removal. PCR Methods Appl 1994;3:365e8.

Detection of PER-2-Producing Enterobacter cloacae in a Brazilian Liver Transplantation Unit

High rates of extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates have been documented in many Brazilian hospitals, with CTX-M-2 being the most frequent ESBL reported ([1][1]). Resistance to broad-spectrum cephalosporins among Enterobacter cloacae isolates is usually due

Group A Streptococcus Antibiotic Resistance in Southern Brazil: A 17-Year Surveillance Study

BACKGROUND Scarce data are available about the antimicrobial resistance of Group A Streptococcus in South America. METHODS This study evaluated the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of 1,112 isolates of Group A Streptococcus during the period from 1993 to 2009 in Curitiba city, Brazil. Macrolide-resistant isolates were characterized by emm typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS All isolates were susceptible to penicillin, vancomycin, and tigecycline. On the contrary, 18.6% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, presenting a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)(50)/MIC(90) of 32/64 mg/L. Erythromycin resistance rose from 1.9% before 2000 to 4% after 2000 and was associated with a marked increased of MIC levels. Simultaneously, both the phenotype and genotype of macrolide resistance were modified as the M phenotypes (mef(A) genotype) were replaced by the cMLS(B) phenotypes (erm(B) genotype). CONCLUSION This polyclonal spreading of cMLS(B) macrolide resistance has not been previously observed in South America and should stimulate further epidemiological surveillance in this part of the world.

Detection of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in Enterobacter spp.– Evaluation of Six Phenotypic Tests

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) are plasmid-mediated enzymes that hydrolyze cephalosporins and monobactams. The lack of a standard method to detect ESBL in Enterobacter spp. has led to underestimating its frequency. The aim of this study was to evaluate ESBL detection in Enterobacter spp. By the double-disk synergy test (DDST) and combined disk test (CDT) assay using cefepime, cefotaxime, and ceftazime as substrates for ESBL, plus AmpC inhibitors in different associations. A total of 83 Enterobacter spp. ESBL and 31 non-ESBL Enterobacter spp. were tested, and a cutoff point ≥3 mm was defined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for combined disc methods. All tests showed 100% specificity. The sensitivity was 89.2% for DDST and CDT without AmpC inibitor, 90.4% in the combined disc test in Mueller-Hinton agar containing phenylboronic acid (CDT-PBAA), and 94% in the combined disc test in Mueller-Hinton agar containing cloxacillin (CDT-CLXA). Cefepime was the best substrate, mainly when AmpC inhibitors were not used. However, superior results were achieved when all cephalosporins were evaluated together. In conclusion, to improve ESBL detection in Enterobacter spp., some modifications in phenotypic tests are needed, such as to reduce the distance between the discs to 20 mm in DDST, to use a cutoff point for ≥3 mm on the CDT, and to include a cefepime disk or an inhibitor of AmpC in all tests.

Polyphasic characterisation of Burkholderia cepaciacomplex species isolated from children with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) pulmonary infections have high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to compare different methods for identification of Bcc species isolated from paediatric CF patients. Oropharyngeal swabs from children with CF were used to obtain isolates of Bcc samples to evaluate six different tests for strain identification. Conventional (CPT) and automatised (APT) phenotypic tests, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-recA, restriction fragment length polymorphism-recA, recAsequencing, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) were applied. Bacterial isolates were also tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. PCR-recA analysis showed that 36 out of the 54 isolates were Bcc. Kappa index data indicated almost perfect agreement between CPT and APT, CPT and PCR-recA, and APT and PCR-recA to identify Bcc, and MALDI-TOF and recAsequencing to identify Bcc species. The recAsequencing data and the MALDI-TOF data agreed in 97.2% of the isolates. Based on recA sequencing, the most common species identified were Burkholderia cenocepacia IIIA (33.4%),Burkholderia vietnamiensis (30.6%), B. cenocepaciaIIIB (27.8%), Burkholderia multivorans (5.5%), and B. cepacia (2.7%). MALDI-TOF proved to be a useful tool for identification of Bcc species obtained from CF patients, although it was not able to identify B. cenocepacia subtypes.

Characterization of virulence genes cagA and vacA in Helicobacter Pylori and their prevalence in gastrointestinal disorders

Prevalence of H. pylori infection was determined using cultures of gastric biopsy samples of patients attended at the academic hospital of the Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Molecular methods were used to characterize the cagA and vacA genes from bacterial isolates associated with different diseases presented by patients. Out of a total of 81, forty-two gastric biopsy samples tested were positive for H. pylori, with a prevalence of 51.9%. No significant difference was found with regard to the gender (p=0.793) and age (p=0.183) of the patients. Genotype s1m1 vacA gene was found in 67% of the cases of peptic ulcer investigated (p=1.0), despite the limited number of patients with this disease (n=3). A correlation between the presence of less virulent strains (s2m2) and reflux esophagitis was found in the majority of the cases (45%), but without statistical significance. An association between the prevalence of cagA gene, found in 92% of isolates, and peptic ulcer was not observed (p=1.0), suggesting that this gene cannot be considered a specific marker of severity in our environment. The results reinforce the importance of conducting regional studies and the need to characterize H. pylori virulence genes associated with different diseases.

Comparison of DNA extraction methods used to detect bacterial and yeast DNA from spiked whole blood by real-time PCR

Sepsis is the leading cause of death in intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide and its diagnosis remains a challenge. Blood culturing is the gold standard technique for blood stream infection (BSI) identification. Molecular tests to detect pathogens in whole blood enable early use of antimicrobials and affect clinical outcomes. Here, using real-time PCR, we evaluated DNA extraction using seven manual and three automated commercially available systems with whole blood samples artificially contaminated with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, microorganisms commonly associated with BSI. Overall, the commercial kits evaluated presented several technical limitations including long turnaround time and low DNA yield and purity. The performance of the kits was comparable for detection of high microorganism loads (106CFU/mL). However, the detection of lower concentrations was variable, despite the addition of pre-processing treatment to kits without such steps. Of the evaluated kits, the UMD-Universal CE IVD kit generated a higher quantity of DNA with greater nucleic acid purity and afforded the detection of the lowest microbial load in the samples. The inclusion of pre-processing steps with the kit seems to be critical for the detection of microorganism DNA directly from whole blood. In conclusion, future application of molecular techniques will require overcoming major challenges such as the detection of low levels of microorganism nucleic acids amidst the large quantity of human DNA present in samples or differences in the cellular structures of etiological agents that can also prevent high-quality DNA yields.