Chonnam Med J.  2017 Jan;53(1):56-63. 10.4068/cmj.2017.53.1.56.

Correlation between Infective Factors and Antibiotic Resistance in Enterococci Clinical Isolates in West of Iran

• Arabestani MR
• Nasaj M
• Mousavi SM

• KMID: 2367340
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4068/cmj.2017.53.1.56

Abstract

The present study was done to scrutinize the possible relation between infective genes and antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Considering the fact that the presence of recognized infective determinants among clinical isolates may promote the emergence of infections and persistence of Enterococci in hospital settings, which can lead to an increase in antimicrobial resistance. 175 E. faecalis and 67 E. faecium isolated from clinical specimens were used. The isolates were identified, and then antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed. The MIC of vancomycin and teicoplanin were determined by broth microdilution method. The presence of infective genes esp, hyl and asa₁ was scrutinized using PCR. Of the 280 enterococcal isolates, 175 (62.5%) isolates were identified as E. faecalis, 67 (24%) as E. faecium and 38 (13.5%) as Enterococcus spp. The results of the antibiotic susceptibility testing showed resistance rates of 5% and 73% to vancomycin and teicoplanin in E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates, respectively. The statistical analysis showed that the esp infective gene has significant associations with ciprofloxacin, erythromycin and tetracycline in E. faecium and with chloramphenicol in E. faecalis strains; the hyl with teicoplanin and vancomycin in E. faecium strains; and also asa₁ with vancomycin in E. faecium and with ampicillin and chloramphenicol in E. faecalis strains. Regarding the relationships between virulence genes and antibiotic resistance in strains of E. faecalis and E. faecium, detection of infective factors associated with invasive diseases has become a major issue of concern.

Keyword

Enterococcus; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Virulence

MeSH Terms

Ampicillin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Chloramphenicol
Ciprofloxacin
Drug Resistance, Microbial*
Enterococcus
Enterococcus faecalis
Enterococcus faecium
Erythromycin
Iran*
Methods
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Teicoplanin
Tetracycline
Vancomycin
Virulence
Ampicillin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Chloramphenicol
Ciprofloxacin
Erythromycin
Teicoplanin
Tetracycline
Vancomycin

Figure

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  FIG. 1 PCR amplification of ddl E. faecalis, ddl E. faecium genes. (A) PCR products ddl E. faecalis gene (941 bp). (B) PCR products ddl E. faecium genes (658 bp). L: molecular size marker 100 bp, 1: positive control, 2-4: samples, 5: negative control.

• 

  FIG. 2 PCR amplification of esp, asa1 genes. PCR products esp, asa1 virulence genes is 510 bp and 375 bp respectively. L: molecular size marker 100 bp, 1: positive control, 2-11: samples, 12: negative control.

• 

  FIG. 3 PCR amplification of hyl gene. PCR product hyl virulence gene is 275 bp. L: molecular size marker 100 bp, 1: positive control, 2-6: samples, 7: negative control.

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