Tze-Peng Lim

In-Vitro Activity of Polymyxin B, Rifampicin, Tigecycline Alone and in Combination against Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Singapore

Objective Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CR-AB) is an emerging cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. Combination therapy may be the only viable option until new antibiotics become available. The objective of this study is to identify potential antimicrobial combinations against CR-AB isolated from our local hospitals. Methods AB isolates from all public hospitals in Singapore were systematically collected between 2006 and 2007. MICs were determined according to CLSI guidelines. All CR-AB isolates were genotyped using a PCR-based method. Clonal relationship was elucidated. Time-kill studies (TKS) were conducted with polymyxin B, rifampicin and tigecycline alone and in combination using clinically relevant (achievable) unbound concentrations. Results 31 CR AB isolates were identified. They are multidrug-resistant, but are susceptible to polymyxin B. From clonal typing, 8 clonal groups were identified and 11 isolates exhibited clonal diversity. In single TKS, polymyxin B, rifampicin and tigecycline alone did not exhibit bactericidal activity at 24 hours. In combination TKS, polymyxin plus rifampicin, polymyxin B plus tigecycline and tigecycline plus rifampicin exhibited bactericidal killing in 13/31, 9/31 and 7/31 isolates respectively at 24 hours. Within a clonal group, there may be no consensus with the types of antibiotics combinations that could still kill effectively. Conclusion Monotherapy with polymyxin B may not be adequate against polymyxin B susceptible AB isolates. These findings demonstrate that in-vitro synergy of antibiotic combinations in CR AB may be strain dependant. It may guide us in choosing a pre-emptive therapy for CR AB infections and warrants further investigations.

Effective Antibiotics in Combination against Extreme Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Decreased Susceptibility to Polymyxin B

Objective Extreme drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (XDR-PA) with decreased susceptibility to polymyxin B (PB) has emerged in Singapore, causing infections in immunocompromised hosts. Combination therapy may be the only viable therapeutic option until new antibiotics become available. The objective of this study is to assess the in vitro activity of various antibiotics against local XDR-PA isolates. Methods PA isolates from all public hospitals in Singapore were systematically collected between 2006 and 2007. MICs were determined according to CLSI guidelines. All XDR-PA isolates identified were genotyped using a PCR-based method. Time-kill studies (TKS) were performed with approximately 105 CFU/ml at baseline using clinically achievable unbound concentrations of amikacin (A), levofloxacin (L), meropenem (M), rifampicin (R) and PB alone and in combination. Bactericidal activity (primary endpoint) was defined as a ≥3 log10 CFU/ml decrease in the colony count from the initial inoculum at 24 hours. Results 22 clinical XDR-PA isolates with PB MIC 2–16 µg/ml were collected. From clonal typing, 5 clonal groups were identified and nine isolates exhibited clonal diversity. In TKS, meropenem plus PB, amikacin plus meropenem, amikacin plus rifampicin, amikacin plus PB exhibited bactericidal activity in 8/22, 3/22, 1/22 and 6/22 isolates at 24 hours respectively. Against the remaining ten isolates where none of the dual-drug combination achieved bactericidal activity against, only the triple-antibiotic combinations of ARP and AMP achieved bactericidal activity against 7/10 and 6/10 isolates respectively. Conclusion Bactericidal activity with sustained killing effect of ≥99.9% is critical for eradicating XDR-PA infections, especially in immunocompromised hosts. These findings underscore the difficulty of developing combination therapeutic options against XDR-PA, demonstrating that at least 3 antibiotics are required in combination and that efficacy is strain dependant.

Pharmacodynamic Modeling of Aminoglycosides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii: Identifying Dosing Regimens To Suppress Resistance Development

ABSTRACT To facilitate optimal dosing regimen design, we previously developed a mathematical model using time-kill study data to predict the responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to various pharmacokinetic profiles of meropenem and levofloxacin. In this study, we extended the model to predict the activities of gentamicin and amikacin exposures against P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, respectively. The input data were from a time-kill study with 107 CFU/ml of bacteria at baseline. P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was exposed to gentamicin (0 to 16× MIC; MIC = 2 mg/liter), and A. baumannii ATCC BAA 747 was exposed to amikacin (0 to 32× MIC; MIC = 4 mg/liter) for 24 h. Using the estimates of the best-fit model parameters, bacterial responses to various fluctuating aminoglycoside exposures (half-life, 2.5 h) over 72 h were predicted via computer simulation. The computer simulations were subsequently validated using an in vitro hollow-fiber infection model with similar aminoglycoside exposures. A significant initial reduction in the bacterial burden was predicted for all gentamicin exposures examined. However, regrowth over time due to resistance emergence was predicted for regimens with a maximum concentration of the drug (Cmax)/MIC (dosing frequency) of 4 (every 8 h [q8h]), 12 (q24h), and 36 (q24h). Sustained suppression of bacterial populations was forecast with a Cmax/MIC of 30 (q12h). Similarly, regrowth and suppression of A. baumannii were predicted and experimentally verified with a three-dimensional response surface. The mathematical model was reasonable in predicting extended bacterial responses to various aminoglycoside exposures qualitatively, based on limited input data. Our approach appears promising as a decision support tool for dosing regimen selection for antimicrobial agents.

In Vitro Antibiotic Synergy in Extensively Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: the Effect of Testing by Time-Kill, Checkerboard, and Etest Methods

ABSTRACT This study examined the in vitro effects of polymyxin B, tigecycline, and rifampin combinations on 16 isolates of extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, including four polymyxin-resistant strains. In vitro synergy was demonstrated in 19 (40%) of a possible 48 isolate-antibiotic combinations by time-kill methods, 8 (17%) by checkerboard methods, and only 1 (2%) by Etest methods. There was only slight agreement between Etest and checkerboard methods and no agreement between results obtained by other methods.

Quantitative Assessment of Combination Antimicrobial Therapy against Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

ABSTRACT Treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections poses a therapeutic challenge to clinicians; combination therapy is often the only viable option for multidrug-resistant infections. A quantitative method was developed to assess the combined killing abilities of antimicrobial agents. Time-kill studies (TKS) were performed using a multidrug-resistant clinical isolate of Acinetobacter baumannii with escalating concentrations of cefepime (0 to 512 mg/liter), amikacin (0 to 256 mg/liter), and levofloxacin (0 to 64 mg/liter). The bacterial burden data in single and combined (two of the three agents with clinically achievable concentrations in serum) TKS at 24 h were mathematically modeled to provide an objective basis for comparing various antimicrobial agent combinations. Synergy and antagonism were defined as interaction indices of <1 and >1, respectively. A hollow-fiber infection model (HFIM) simulating various clinical (fluctuating concentrations over time) dosing exposures was used to selectively validate our quantitative assessment of the combined killing effect. Model fits in all single-agent TKS were satisfactory (r2 > 0.97). An enhanced combined overall killing effect was seen in the cefepime-amikacin combination (interactive index, 0.698; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.675 to 0.722) and the cefepime-levofloxacin combination (interactive index, 0.929; 95% CI, 0.903 to 0.956), but no significant difference in the combined overall killing effect for the levofloxacin-amikacin combination was observed (interactive index, 0.994; 95% CI, 0.982 to 1.005). These assessments were consistent with observations in HFIM validation studies. Our method could be used to objectively rank the combined killing activities of two antimicrobial agents when used together against a multidrug-resistant A. baumannii isolate. It may offer better insights into the effectiveness of various antimicrobial combinations and warrants further investigations.

In vitro activity of various combinations of antimicrobials against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species in Singapore.

Outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species have emerged, especially in Singapore. Combination therapy may be the only viable option until new antibiotics are available. The objective of this study was to identify potential antimicrobial combinations against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter species in Singapore. From an ongoing surveillance program, two isolates of A. baumannii and an isolate of Acinetobacter species that were multidrug resistant were selected on the basis of their unique resistance mechanisms. The two A. baumannii isolates carried the carbapenemase blaOXA-23-like gene and the Acinetobacter species carried a metallo-β-lactamase IMP-4 gene. Time-kill studies were conducted with approximately 105 CFU ml−1 at baseline with 0.5 times minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of polymyxin B and tigecycline, and at a maximally achievable clinical concentration of meropenem(64 μg ml−1) and rifampicin(2 μg ml−1), alone and in combinations. The MICs (μg ml−1) of Acinetobacter species A105, A. baumannii AB112 and A. baumannii AB8879 to polymyxin B/tigecycline/rifampicin/meropenem were found to be 1/0.5/4/64, 1/4/4/32 and 2/2/2/64, respectively. In time-kill studies, enhanced combined killing effects were observed in the tigecycline–rifampicin combination; the tigecycline–rifampicin and rifampicin–polymyxin B combination; and the rifampicin–polymyxin B combination for Acinetobacter species A105, A. baumannii AB112 and A. baumannii AB8879, respectively, with >5 log kill at 24 h suggesting synergism, with no regrowth observed at 72 h. These findings demonstrate that in vitro synergy of antibiotic combinations in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species may be strain dependent. It may guide us in choosing a preemptive therapy for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species infections and warrants further investigations.

In vivo dynamics of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa selection after suboptimal dosing

We have previously demonstrated Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance selection because of suboptimal carbapenem exposures in an in vitro infection model, but the in vivo relevance of the observations is not well established. In this study, we examined the impact of carbapenem exposures on resistance selection using a neutropenic murine pneumonia model. Neutropenic mice were infected with approximately 10(6) CFU of P. aeruginosa intratracheally. Ten animals each were treated with 400 or 50 mg/kg of meropenem intraperitoneally or placebo every 8 h, given 2 h after infection for 2 to 4 days. Quantitative assessment of bacterial burden in lung tissues was performed at baseline, upon death, or at the end of experiment. Meropenem (400 mg/kg) offered a significant survival benefit, but selective amplification of the OprD(-) mutant population in lung tissue was observed in 20% to 30% of the animals. Our data suggested that suboptimal meropenem exposures might facilitate in vivo selection of resistance in a heterogeneous P. aeruginosa population.

mcr-1 in Multidrug-Resistant blaKPC-2-Producing Clinical Enterobacteriaceae Isolates in Singapore

Jocelyn Qi-Min Teo, Rick Twee-Hee Ong, Eryu Xia, Tse-Hsien Koh, Chiea-Chuen Khor, Shannon Jing-Yi Lee, Tze-Peng Lim, Andrea Lay-Hoon Kwa Department of Pharmacy, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University Health System, Singapore; NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore; Genome Institute of Singapore, A*Star, Singapore; Office of Clinical Sciences, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore

In Vitro Pharmacodynamics of Various Antibiotics in Combination against Extensively Drug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

ABSTRACT Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae is an emerging pathogen in Singapore. With limited therapeutic options available, combination antibiotics may be the only viable option. In this study, we aimed to elucidate effective antibiotic combinations against XDR K. pneumoniae isolates. Six NDM-1-producing and two OXA-181-producing K. pneumoniae strains were exposed to 12 antibiotics alone and in combination via time-kill studies. A hollow-fiber infection model (HFIM) with pharmacokinetic validation was used to simulate clinically relevant tigecycline-plus-meropenem dosing regimens against 2 XDR K. pneumoniae isolates over 240 h. The emergence of resistance against tigecycline was quantified using drug-free and selective (tigecycline at 3× the MIC) media. The in vitro growth rates were determined and serial passages on drug-free and selective media were carried out on resistant isolates obtained at 240 h. Both the polymyxin B and tigecycline MICs ranged from 1 to 4 mg/liter. In single time-kill studies, all antibiotics alone demonstrated regrowth at 24 h, except for polymyxin B against 2 isolates. Tigecycline plus meropenem was found to be bactericidal in 50% of the isolates. For the isolates that produced OXA-181-like carbapenemases, none of the 55 tested antibiotic combinations was bactericidal. Against 2 isolates in the HFIM, tigecycline plus meropenem achieved a >90% reduction in bacterial burden for 96 h before regrowth was observed until 109 CFU/ml at 240 h. Phenotypically stable and resistant isolates, which were recovered from tigecycline-supplemented plates post-HFIM studies, had lower growth rates than those of their respective parent isolates, possibly implying a substantial biofitness deficit in this population. We found that tigecycline plus meropenem may be a potential antibiotic combination for XDR K. pneumoniae infections, but its efficacy was strain specific.

Carbapenem Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria: The Not-So-Little Problem in the Little Red Dot

Singapore is an international travel and medical hub and faces a genuine threat for import and dissemination of bacteria with broad-spectrum resistance. In this review, we described the current landscape and management of carbapenem resistance in Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in Singapore. Notably, the number of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae has exponentially increased in the past two years. Resistance is largely mediated by a variety of mechanisms. Polymyxin resistance has also emerged. Interestingly, two Escherichia coli isolates with plasmid-mediated mcr-1 genes have been detected. Evidently, surveillance and infection control becomes critical in the local setting where resistance is commonly related to plasmid-mediated mechanisms, such as carbapenemases. Combination antibiotic therapy has been proposed as a last-resort strategy in the treatment of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) GNB infections, and is widely adopted in Singapore. The diversity of carbapenemases encountered, however, presents complexities in both carbapenemase detection and the selection of optimal antibiotic combinations. One unique strategy introduced in Singapore is a prospective in vitro combination testing service, which aids physicians in the selection of individualized combinations. The outcome of this treatment strategy has been promising. Unlike countries with a predominant carbapenemase type, Singapore has to adopt management strategies which accounts for diversity in resistance mechanisms.