Rapid molecular characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii clones with rep-PCR and evaluation of carbapenemase genes by new multiplex PCR in Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa

• Published in: PloS one 2014-01, Vol.9 (1), p.e85854-e85854
• Main Authors: Pasanen, Tanja, Koskela, Suvi, Mero, Sointu, Tarkka, Eveliina, Tissari, Päivi, Vaara, Martti, Kirveskari, Juha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acinetobacter; Acinetobacter baumannii; Acinetobacter baumannii - drug effects; Acinetobacter baumannii - enzymology; Acinetobacter baumannii - genetics; Acinetobacter baumannii - isolation & purification; Ampicillin; Analysis; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotics; Assaying; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; beta-Lactamases - genetics; Carbapenemase; Clone Cells; Cloning; Colistin; Enterobacteriaceae; Epidemiology; Finland; Genes; Genes, Bacterial - genetics; Hospitals; Imipenem; Infections; Inosine monophosphate; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Laboratories; Medicine; Meropenem; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Typing - methods; Multidrug resistance; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Multiplexing; Oxalic acid; Permeability; Polymerase chain reaction; Pseudomonas; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reproducibility of Results; Rifampin; Screening; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sulbactam; Tigecycline; Time Factors
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085854

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) is an increasing problem worldwide. Prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter spp. due to acquired carbapenemase genes is not known in Finland. The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence and clonal spread of multiresistant A. baumannii group species, and their carbapenemase genes. A total of 55 Acinetobacter isolates were evaluated with repetitive PCR (DiversiLab) to analyse clonality of isolates, in conjunction with antimicrobial susceptibility profile for ampicillin/sulbactam, colistin, imipenem, meropenem, rifampicin and tigecycline. In addition, a new real-time PCR assay, detecting most clinically important carbapenemase genes just in two multiplex reactions, was developed. The assay detects genes for KPC, VIM, IMP, GES-1/-10, OXA-48, NDM, GIM-1, SPM-1, IMI/NMC-A, SME, CMY-10, SFC-1, SIM-1, OXA-23-like, OXA-24/40-like, OXA-58 and ISAbaI-OXA-51-like junction, and allows confident detection of isolates harbouring acquired carbapenemase genes. There was a time-dependent, clonal spread of multiresistant A. baumannii strongly correlating with carbapenamase gene profile, at least in this geographically restricted study material. The new carbapenemase screening assay was able to detect all the genes correctly suggesting it might be suitable for epidemiologic screening purposes in clinical laboratories.