1. Biofilm synthesis and other virulence factors in multidrug-resistant uropathogenic enterococci isolated in Northern India.
- Author
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Das AK, Dudeja M, Kohli S, Ray P, Singh M, and Kaur PS
- Subjects
- Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology, Bacterial Proteins genetics, Carbon-Oxygen Ligases genetics, Cross-Sectional Studies, Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial, Enterococcus drug effects, Enterococcus isolation & purification, Enterococcus metabolism, Enterococcus pathogenicity, Enterococcus faecalis drug effects, Enterococcus faecalis isolation & purification, Enterococcus faecalis metabolism, Enterococcus faecalis pathogenicity, Enterococcus faecium drug effects, Enterococcus faecium isolation & purification, Enterococcus faecium metabolism, Genes, Bacterial, Humans, India, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Vancomycin Resistance genetics, Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci genetics, Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci isolation & purification, Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci physiology, Virulence genetics, Virulence Factors genetics, Biofilms growth & development, Enterococcus faecium pathogenicity, Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections microbiology, Urinary Tract Infections microbiology, Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci pathogenicity, Virulence Factors biosynthesis
- Abstract
Purpose: Enterococci express high degree of resistance towards wide range of antibiotics. Production of biofilm and many virulence factors along with drug resistance makes it difficult to eradicate the infection from urinary tract. The present study detected the expression of such factors including biofilm production by multidrug-resistant (MDR) enterococci., Materials and Methods: Drug susceptibility of 103 uropathogenic enterococci was performed followed by estimation of minimum inhibitory concentration of high-level gentamicin and vancomycin by microbroth dilution method. Vancomycin-resistant genes were detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Production of virulence factors such as haemagglutination, caseinase, lipase, gelatinase, haemolysin and β-lactamase was detected by phenotypic methods in MDR strains. Biofilm production was detected by calcofluor-white fluorescence staining and semi-quantitative adherence assay., Results: 45% and 18.4% of the isolates were high-level gentamicin-resistant and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), respectively. vanA gene was detected in 14 and vanB gene in 5 strains. Biofilm, caseinase and gelatinase were the most expressed virulence factor. Expression of caseinase, gelatinase and lipase was significantly higher in Enterococcus faecalis (P < 0.05). Expression of haemagglutination, gelatinase and haemolysin among the vancomycin-resistant isolates was significantly higher (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: VanA and vanB are the prevalent genotypes responsible for vancomycin resistance. The high prevalence of MDR enterococcal strains producing biofilm and virulence determinants raises concern. asa1, hyl, esp, gelE, cyl and other genes are known to express these factors and contribute to biofilm formation. Most uropathogenic enterococci expressed biofilm at moderate level and can be detected effectively by calcofluor-white staining. No correlation was noted between vancomycin resistance and biofilm production., Competing Interests: None
- Published
- 2020
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