醋酸钙-鲍曼不动杆菌复合体的精确鉴定与药敏分析

目的精确鉴定醋酸钙-鲍曼不动杆菌复合体菌株;检测菌株对氨基糖苷类抗生素和碳青霉烯类抗生素的敏感性。方法运用自动化分析仪VITEK 2试卡法对临床分离不动杆菌进行菌种鉴定,对鉴定为醋酸钙-鲍曼不动杆菌复合体的菌株进一步经16S rRNA序列分析确证其准确种属。分别用自动化分析仪VITEK 2和微稀释法测定精确鉴定后的醋酸钙-鲍曼不动杆菌复合体菌株对阿米卡星、庆大霉素、妥布霉素、亚胺培南和厄他培南五种抗生素的敏感性,分析药敏实验结果。结果共进行了232株不动杆菌的VITEK 2鉴定,其中195株鉴定为醋酸钙-鲍曼不动杆菌复合体。对195株醋酸钙-鲍曼不动杆菌复合体菌株进一步用16S rRNA序列分析确证其准确种属,结果显示173株为鲍曼不动杆菌,22株为醋酸钙不动杆菌。对173株鲍曼不动杆菌及22株醋酸钙不动杆菌分别用VITEK 2和微稀释法进行阿米卡星、庆大霉素、妥布霉素、亚胺培南和厄他培南五种抗生素的药敏检测。微稀释法药敏结果显示,受试鲍曼不动杆菌对三种氨基糖苷类抗生素均呈现高水平耐药,而对两种碳青霉烯类抗生素敏感度较高;受试醋酸钙不动杆菌对五种抗生素均呈现较高敏感度。与微稀释法药敏检测结果相比,VITEK 2试卡法药敏结果中受试鲍曼不动杆菌和醋酸钙不动杆菌对各抗生素的药敏检测结果均出现了不同程度的误差,鲍曼不动杆菌药敏检测结果中阿米卡星符合率最低,严重错误率高达34.10%;醋酸钙不动杆菌药敏检测结果中厄他培南符合率最低,重大错误率高达40.91%。结论 VITEK 2在不动杆菌种属鉴定中存在局限性,辅以16S rRNA序列分析,方可精确鉴定醋酸钙-鲍曼不动杆菌复合体。鲍曼不动杆菌对氨基糖苷类抗生素耐药现状严重。用VITEK 2进行鲍曼不动杆菌和醋酸钙不动杆菌对氨基糖苷类和碳青霉烯类的药敏测定时存在不同程度的误差,建议辅以微稀释法。     

鲍曼不动杆菌的临床分布及耐药性变迁

目的了解鲍曼不动杆菌在临床标本的分离率和病区分布及耐药性变化趋势。方法菌株鉴定采用法国梅里埃VITEK32细菌鉴定系统进行鉴定,药敏试验采用K-B法,药敏试验结果判定以CLSI/NCCLS标准进行。结果 2004-2010年共收到26670份标本,分离出阳性细菌7065株,其中鲍曼不动杆菌471株（6.67%）,分离率为1.77%（471/7065）。在471株鲍曼不动杆菌中,从痰液标本分离出最多有409株（86.83%）,分离率最高的是ICU,占49.3%。鲍曼不动杆菌对抗菌药物的耐药性普遍较高,且呈逐年升高趋势,部分表现出多重耐药特征。结论鲍曼不动杆菌的耐药状况日益严重,应重视临床鲍曼不动杆菌的感染与分离,谨防多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌的院内感染及暴发流行。     

多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌的耐药分子机制及质粒谱分析

目的了解我院临床分离的66株多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌（MDRAB）的耐药性和整合子（qacE△1-sull）、转座子（tnpU）存在状况,并对菌株质粒谱进行分析。方法采用VITEK-2全自动细菌鉴定仪检测鲍曼不动杆菌对18种抗生素的药敏结果,并对该细菌进行总DNA的提取。用聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测qacE△1-sull及tnpU,提取质粒进行同源性分析。结果 66株鲍曼不动杆菌中整合子qacE△1-sull基因阳性率为31.8%,转座子tnpU基因阳性率为30.3%。携带遗传标记的菌株耐药率高,特别是对头孢曲松、氨苄西林、头孢替坦、头孢唑啉、呋喃妥因的耐药率已接近或达到100%,而对丁胺卡那霉素和头孢哌酮/舒巴坦的耐药率最低,分别为5%和20%;有19株对亚胺培南耐药,其中整合子阳性率63.2%,转座子阳性率36.8%。检出质粒的46株（70%）临床分离菌出现1～3条大质粒带,大小在1～20kb间,其中出现1条带的有33株、2条带8株、3条带5株,有12株菌提取到大小相同的质粒。结论多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌耐亚胺培南的耐药现象严重;整合子、转座子遗传标记的携带率高,可能是鲍曼不动杆菌多重耐药的主要原因。     

鲍曼不动杆菌armA基因的分布与耐药性的研究

目的 调查我院鲍曼不动杆菌中16S rRNA甲基化基因armA的分布以及与鲍曼不动杆菌耐药谱的关系,并初步探讨其在分子流行病学分析中的作用.方法 收集72株鲍曼不动杆菌,采用K-B法对鲍曼不动杆菌进行药物敏感试验,后采用PCR筛选鲍曼不动杆菌的16S rRNA甲基化基因armA,并利用随机扩增多态性DNA法(RAPD)技术进行基因分型.统计各鲍曼不动杆菌菌株对多种氨基糖苷类药物的药敏结果,并分析基因型与耐药性的关系.结果 根据PCR产物片段大小,72株鲍曼不动杆菌共有armA基因阳性菌株20株(27.8%).含有armA基因型鲍曼不动杆菌菌株对庆大霉素、妥布霉素和阿米卡星的耐药率均为90%;随机扩增多态性DNA法显示20株armA基因阳性的鲍曼不动杆菌主要分为7型,A型为优势克隆株.结论 产16S rRNA甲基化基因armA的鲍曼不动杆菌菌株可对多种氨基糖苷类抗生素高水平耐药.同一克隆菌株在病房内和病房间的传播为我院armA基因传播的主要方式.     

鲍曼不动杆菌临床分离株表型、基因型和耐药基因的对比研究

目的 对比研究鲍曼不动杆菌临床分离株基因型和编码耐药基因的差异,并分析其与临床多重耐药性的关系.方法 随机收集中南大学湘雅二医院2008年9月至2009年9月分离的77株鲍曼不动杆菌,采用WHO推荐的K-B法对鲍曼不动杆菌进行临床常见15种抗生素药物敏感试验,并对药敏谱进行分析.用随机扩增多态性DNA法(RAPD)技术进行基因分型.并利用PCR对β-内酰胺酶基因TEM-1、IMP、OXA-23、OXA-24、AmpC和氨基糖苷类修饰酶基因aac(3)-Ⅰ、aac(6')-Ⅰ、ant(3")-Ⅰ和16S rRNA甲基化基因armA、rmtA、rmtB进行扩增及序列分析.对比分析鲍曼不动杆菌耐药基因的携带情况,以及与基因型和耐药性的关系.结果 77株鲍曼不动杆菌中敏感菌株有31株,对5种或5种以上抗生素耐药的多重耐药菌株46株,内含全耐药菌株10株.RAPD技术将其分为17型,为A-G型,多重耐药株中E型为优势克隆株(17株),在重症监护病房(ICU)中流行最广,占47.1%(8/17).敏感株中各型散在分布.PCR扩增结果显示,多重耐药株和敏感株携带TEM-1、IMP、OXA-23、OXA-24、AmpC、aac(3)-Ⅰ、aac(6')-Ⅰ、ant(3")-Ⅰ和armA耐药基因的比率分别为95.7%、39.1%、84.8%、54.3%、87.0%、89.1%、84.8%、45.7%、63.0%和58.1%、9.7%、32.3%、48.4%、48.4%、29.0%、45.2%、12.9%、9.7%,未发现rmtA和rmtB基因阳性菌株.经x2检验,除OXA-24外,其余各耐药基因携带率比较差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).药敏分析提示携带以上耐药基因的鲍曼不动杆菌菌株的耐药率明显高于未携带该基因的菌株,其中对阿米卡星和庆大霉素耐药的菌株,其氨基糖苷类酶基因均阳性(34.8%),含所测的所有β-内酰胺酶基因的菌株均为全耐药株.结论 与临床分离的敏感鲍曼不动杆菌相比,多重耐药株耐药谱广,耐药率高,其携带β-内酰胺酶基因和氨基糖苷类酶基因种类多,分离率高,且同一克隆的多重耐药株可在病室内和病室间传播.     

鲍曼不动杆菌临床分布及耐药性分析

目的 了解鲍曼不动杆菌的感染情况及其耐药性,为医院控制感染及临床合理应用抗生素提供科学依据。方法 回顾性分析2013年1月~2014年12月我院临床分离的154株鲍曼不动杆菌的药敏试验数据和各科分布情况。结果 在分离出的154株鲍曼不动杆菌中,重症监护病房（PICU）最多,为48株（31.17%）,其中以痰液分离最多,为116株（75.32%）,多重耐药菌分离率为7.14%,耐碳青霉烯类菌分离率为2.66%。结论 鲍曼不动杆菌极易对抗菌药产生耐药,应加强医院耐药菌株的监测,指导临床合理使用抗生素,以便采取有效的防范措施,最大限度减少鲍曼不动杆菌感染。     

多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌的耐药性与AmpC耐药基因的研究

目的了解我院临床分离的60株多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌（multi-drug resistant Acinetobater baumannii,MDRAB）的耐药性和AmpC耐药基因的存在状况。方法采用VITEK-2全自动细菌鉴定仪检测鲍曼不动杆菌对18种抗生素的药敏结果,对该细菌进行总DNA的提取,用聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测耐药基因,结合药物敏感试验分析菌株的耐药特征。结果检出结构基因ampC型49株,占81.7%;blaADC基因型50株,占83%;ACT基因型2株;41株菌同时携带blaADC和ampC结构基因,占68%;2株同时携带blaADC、ACT和ampC结构基因;未检测到其它AmpC耐药基因（MOX、CIT、FOX、DHA）。携带AmpC耐药基因的菌株耐药率高,特别是对头孢曲松、氨苄西林、头孢替坦、头孢唑啉、呋喃妥因的耐药率已接近或达到100%,而对于丁胺卡那霉素和头孢哌酮/舒巴坦的耐药率最低,分别为5%和20%。结论多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌的blaADC耐药基因和ampC结构基因同时携带率高,并且是鲍曼不动杆菌多重耐药的主要原因。     

鲍曼不动杆菌多重耐药性与主动外排机制的相关性研究

目的 了解多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌主动外排系统及双组分调节系统编码基因的携带情况,并观察外排泵抑制剂对多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌耐药水平的影响程度,以探讨鲍曼不动杆菌多重耐药性与胞膜主动外排系统的关系.方法 PCR方法 扩增外排泵编码基因adeB及双组分调节系统编码基因adeR和adeS.采用琼脂稀释法测定50株多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌对环丙沙星、阿米卡星、头孢噻肟和亚胺培南的最低抑菌浓度(MIC),并观察在含25μg/ml利血平条件下MIC值的变化程度.结果 50株多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌adeB、adeR及adeS基因的携带率分别为94%、96%及92%.以环丙沙星、头孢噻肟、阿米卡星和亚胺培南作为底物,分别有49、50、50和46株菌在含25μg/ml利血平的条件下MIC值降低4倍或4倍以上,呈现明显的外排作用.结论 主动外排机制是本地区鲍曼不动杆菌多重耐药的重要原因之一.     

鲍曼不动杆菌临床株多重药物外排泵AdeABC的研究

目的 研究鲍曼不动杆菌(Acinetobacter baumannii)临床株外排泵AdeABC的表达与耐药的关系及表达调控.方法 微量肉汤稀释法检测鲍曼不动杆菌临床株对抗菌药物的敏感性及泵抑制剂作用,RT-PCR检测泵基因adeB的mRNA表达水平,PCR扩增泵调控基因adeRS并测序分析.结果 30株多重耐药的鲍曼不动杆菌临床株及5株敏感株均存在泵结构基因片段adeB和调控基因adeRS,随机选取15株多重耐药株中均检测到adeB的mRNA表达,而在5株敏感株中无表达.测定2株多重耐药株调控基因adeRS序列均出现基因突变,发生氨基酸替代及缺失.结论 鲍曼不动杆菌临床株外排泵AdeABC的表达可能与耐药性有关,在多重耐药株中存在着调控基因adeRS的基因序列变化.     

鲍曼不动杆菌临床株的外排泵研究

目的 探讨鲍曼不动杆菌临床株外排泵AdeABC、AdeIJK、AdeFGH、AbeM、AbeS、CraA、MdtL的表达与耐药的关系.方法 收集多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌临床株32株和敏感株10株,PCR扩增泵基因;选取主要克隆型的21株多重耐药株和10株敏感株,实时荧光定量RT-PCR方法检测泵基因adeB、adeJ、adeG、abeM、abeS、craA、mdtL的mRNA相对表达水平,PCR扩增泵调控基因adeRS、adeL并测序分析.结果 32株多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌临床株中携带泵结构基因片段adeB100％、adeJ 100％、adeG 100％、abeM 96.88％、abeS 100％、craA 100％、mdtL 93.75％,10株敏感株均存在7种泵结构基因片段;主要克隆型的21株多重耐药株和10株敏感株adeB、abeM、mdtL的mRNA相对表达水平的差异有统计学意义( P＜0.001,P=0.001,P=0.013),选取多重耐药株AbR3和AbR11检测外排泵AdeABC调控基因adeRS序列出现氨基酸替代及缺失,而外排泵AdeFGH调控基因adeL序列无基因突变.结论 鲍曼不动杆菌临床株外排泵AdeABC、AbeM、MdtL的表达可能与耐药性有关.     

Comparison of one-tube multiplex PCR, automated ribotyping and intergenic spacer (ITS) sequencing for rapid identification of Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a serious cause of nosocomial infections. Rapid identification of this pathogen is required so that appropriate therapy can be given and outbreaks controlled. This study evaluated a multiplex PCR and an automated ribotyping system for the rapid identification of Acinetobacter baumannii. In total, 22 different reference strains and 138 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp., identified by 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer (ITS) sequence analysis, were evaluated. All A. baumannii isolates (82 clinical isolates and one reference strain) were identified by the multiplex PCR method (specificity 100%). The sensitivity and specificity of the ribotyping system for identification of A. baumannii were 85.5% (71/83) and 93.5% (72/77), respectively. An additional 100 clinical isolates belonging to the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex were used to compare these two methods for identification of A. baumannii, and this comparison revealed a level of disagreement of 14% (14 isolates). The accuracy of the multiplex PCR was 100%, which was confirmed by sequence analysis of the ITS and recA gene of these isolates. Thus, the multiplex PCR method dramatically increased the efficiency and speed of A. baumannii identification.     

Species-level identification of isolates of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex by sequence analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA gene spacer region

The species Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, A. baumannii, genomic species 3, and genomic species 13TU included in the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex are genetically highly related and difficult to distinguish phenotypically. Except for A. calcoaceticus, they are all important nosocomial species. In the present study, the usefulness of the 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer (ITS) sequence for the differentiation of (genomic) species in the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex was evaluated. The ITSs of 11 reference strains of the complex and 17 strains of other (genomic) species of Acinetobacter were sequenced. The ITS lengths (607 to 638 bp) and sequences were highly conserved for strains within the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex. Intraspecies ITS sequence similarities ranged from 0.99 to 1.0, whereas interspecies similarities varied from 0.86 to 0.92. By using these criteria, 79 clinical isolates identified as A. calcoaceticus (18 isolates) or A. baumannii (61 isolates) with the API 20 NE system (bioMerieux Vitek, Marcy l'Etoile, France) were identified as A. baumannii (46 isolates), genomic species 3 (19 isolates), and genomic species 13TU (11 isolates) by ITS sequencing. An identification rate of 96.2% (76 of 79 isolates) was obtained by using ITS sequence analysis for identification of isolates in the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex, and the accuracy of the method was confirmed for a subset of strains by amplified rRNA gene restriction analysis and genomic DNA analysis by AFLP analysis by using libraries of profiles of reference strains. In conclusion, ITS sequence-based identification is reliable and provides a promising tool for elucidation of the clinical significance of the different species of the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex.     

A PCR-based method to differentiate between Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter genomic species 13TU

A new PCR-based method that exploits differences in gyrB gene sequences was developed to distinguish between Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter genomic sp. 13TU. Among 118 clinical and reference Acinetobacter strains, 102 of which were previously speciated by amplified rDNA restriction analysis as belonging to the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex, the method correctly identified 31 A. baumannii and 54 Acinetobacter genomic sp. 13TU isolates to the species level. The method was rapid, specific and easy to interpret.     

Oligonucleotide array-based identification of species in the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex in isolates from blood cultures and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolates

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, A. baumannii, Acinetobacter genomic species (gen. sp.) 3, and Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU, which are included in the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex, are difficult to distinguish by phenotypic methods. An array with six oligonucleotide probes based on the 16S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer (ITS) region was developed to differentiate species in the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex. Validation of the array with a reference collection of 52 strains of the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex and 137 strains of other species resulted in an identification sensitivity and specificity of 100%. By using the array, the species distribution of 291 isolates of the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex from patients with bacteremia were determined to be A. baumannii (221 strains [75.9%]), Acinetobacter gen. sp. 3 (67 strains [23.0%]), Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU (2 strains [0.7%]), and unidentified Acinetobacter sp. (1 strain [0.3%]). The identification accuracy of the array for 12 randomly selected isolates from patients with bacteremia was further confirmed by sequence analyses of the ITS region and the 16S rRNA gene. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the 291 isolates from patients with bacteremia revealed that A. baumannii strains were less susceptible to antimicrobial agents than Acinetobacter gen. sp. 3. All Acinetobacter gen. sp. 3 strains were susceptible to ampicillin-sulbactam, imipenem, and meropenem; but only 67.4%, 90%, and 86% of the A. baumannii strains were susceptible to ampicillin-sulbactam, imipenem, and meropenem, respectively. The observed significant variations in antimicrobial susceptibility among different species in the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex emphasize that the differentiation of species within the complex is relevant from a clinical-epidemiological point of view.     

Identification of Acinetobacter isolates from species belonging to the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex with monoclonal antibodies specific for O Antigens of their lipopolysaccharides.

The unambiguous identification of Acinetobacter strains, particularly those belonging to the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex, is often hindered by their close geno- and phenotypic relationships. In this study, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the O antigens of the lipopolysaccharides from strains belonging to the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex were generated after the immunization of mice with heat-killed bacteria and shown by enzyme immunoassays and Western blotting to be specific for their homologous antigens. Since the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex comprises the most clinically relevant species, the MAbs were subsequently tested in dot and Western blots with proteinase K-treated lysates from a large collection of Acinetobacter isolates (n = 631) to determine whether the antibodies could be used for the reliable identification of strains from this complex. Reactivity was observed with 273 of the 504 isolates (54%) from the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex which were included in this study. Isolates which reacted positively did so with only one antibody; no reactivity was observed with isolates not belonging to the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex (n = 127). To identify additional putative O serotypes, isolates from the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex which showed no MAb reactivity were subjected to a method that enables the detection of lipid A moieties in lipopolysaccharides with a specific MAb on Western blots following acidic treatment of the membrane. By this method, additional serotypes were indeed identified, thus indicating which strains to select for future immunizations. This study contributes to the completion of a serotype-based identification scheme for Acinetobacter species, in particular, those which are presently of the most clinical importance.     

Identification of Acinetobacter isolates in the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex by restriction analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic-spacer sequences.

Members of the genus Acinetobacter are reported to be involved in hospital-acquired infections with an increasing frequency. However, clinical laboratories still lack simple methods that allow complete identification of some pathogenic species, i.e., those corresponding to A. baumannii (DNA group or genospecies 2), unnamed genospecies 3 and 13, and two new genospecies that have recently been described. In fact, a complete discrimination between these species is possible only by DNA-DNA hybridization or ribotyping. Both of these techniques are complex and time-consuming and cannot be performed in most clinical laboratories. As a consequence, isolates belonging to these genospecies are often not differentiated and included, together with the environmental genospecies 1, in the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex. In this report, a simple and rapid method for the identification of the genospecies belonging to the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex is proposed. It is based on the combined digestion by the restriction endonuclease AluI and NdeII of the DNA fragments resulting from the amplification of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer sequences. The analysis of 36 strains characterized by DNA-DNA hybridization in previous studies showed that the restriction profiles obtained are highly reproducible and characteristic for each genospecies. Moreover, extending this study to 68 clinical strains, which were assigned to the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex by phenotypic tests, confirmed the existence of a panel of limited and well-conserved restriction patterns and allowed the identification of the strains tested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Bacterial identification, clinical significance, and antimicrobial susceptibilities of Acinetobacter ursingii and Acinetobacter schindleri, two frequently misidentified opportunistic pathogens

The species belonging to the Acinetobacter genus are currently reported as opportunistic pathogens in hospitalized patients with underlying predispositions. However, except for the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex, the identification of other species is frequently unreliable, especially for Acinetobacter ursingii and Acinetobacter schindleri, newly described in 2001. Thus, the clinical significance, phenotypic features, and antimicrobial susceptibilities of these two misidentified species remain unclear. Of 456 Acinetobacter sp. clinical strains isolated from 2002 to 2005 in Henri Mondor Hospital, 15 isolates (10 A. ursingii and 5 A. schindleri isolates) were studied. They were characterized using a phenotypic approach (API 20 NE and VITEK 2 systems), 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and susceptibility to antimicrobial agents with evaluation of impact in clinical relevance. The two corresponding type strains were also included for comparison. All isolates were identified to the species level using molecular tools, whereas the phenotypic methods remained unreliable due to the absence of these two species in the manufacturers' databases. However, the API 20 NE system appeared to be a reasonably reliable phenotypic alternative for the identification of A. ursingii when the numerical code 0000071 was found. Conversely, no discriminative phenotypic alternative existed for A. schindleri isolates. Concerning antimicrobial susceptibility, A. ursingii strains appeared to be more resistant to antibiotics than A. schindleri strains, which could imply therapeutic consequences. Finally, the prevalence of infections caused by A. ursingii and A. schindleri (representing 9.7% and 4.8% of non-A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex strains, respectively) seems to be underestimated.     

Identification of epidemic strains of Acinetobacter baumannii by integrase gene PCR

Forty-eight clinical Acinetobacter isolates with different epidemic behavior were investigated for the presence of integrons and plasmids and for antibiotic susceptibility. Integrons were demonstrated in 50% of the strains by an integrase gene PCR. Epidemic strains of Acinetobacter baumannii were found to contain significantly more integrons than nonepidemic strains. Also, the presence of integrons was significantly correlated with simultaneous resistance to several antibiotics. Plasmids were detected in 42% of the strains. However, there was no significant correlation between the numbers of plasmids and integrons in Acinetobacter species strains, no significant difference in the number of plasmids between epidemic and nonepidemic A. baumannii strains, and no significant correlation between the presence of plasmids and antibiotic resistance. Hence, it is likely that integrons play an important role in antibiotic resistance and thereby in the epidemic behavior of A. baumannii. Because the integrase gene PCR identified almost three-quarters of the epidemic A. baumannii isolates (17 of 23), this seems to be a rapid and simple technique for the routine screening and identification of clinical A. baumannii isolates with epidemic potential.     

Identification of Acinetobacter baumannii by detection of the blaOXA-51-like carbapenemase gene intrinsic to this species

bla(OXA-51-like) was sought in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter species in a multiplex PCR, which also detects bla(OXA-23-like) and class 1 integrase genes. All isolates that gave a band for bla(OXA-51-like) identified as A. baumannii. This gene was detected in each of 141 isolates of A. baumannii but not in those of 22 other Acinetobacter species.     

Development of a multilocus sequence typing scheme for characterization of clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii

In this study a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for Acinetobacter baumannii was developed and evaluated by using 40 clinical A. baumannii isolates recovered from outbreaks in Spanish and German hospitals during the years 1990 to 2001, as well as isolates from other European hospitals and two DSMZ reference strains of A. baumannii. For comparison, two isolates of Acinetobacter species 13 (sensu Tjernberg and Ursing), two clinical isolates, and three DSMZ strains of A. calcoaceticus (both belonging to the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex) were also investigated. Primers were designed for conserved regions of housekeeping genes, and 305- to 513-bp internal fragments of seven such genes-gltA, gyrB, gdhB, recA, cpn60, gpi, and rpoD-were sequenced for all strains. The number of alleles at individual loci ranged from 6 to 12, and a total of 20 allelic profiles or sequence types were distinguished among the investigated A. baumannii strains. The MLST data were in high concordance with the epidemiologic typing results generated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting. The MLST scheme provides a high level of resolution and an excellent tool for studying the population structure and long-term epidemiology of A. baumannii.