Nasopharyngeal carriage of drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in children with acute otitis media evaluated by polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping of penicillin-binding proteins.
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genotyping of the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) genes pbp1a, pbp2x and pbp2b was used to characterize Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from the nasopharynx of children with acute otitis media (AOM). Mutations were observed in pbp1a, pbp2x and pbp2b genes in 36.5% of the strains. Decreased susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics was closely associated with the frequency of mutations in the three PBP genes. Of penicillin-intermediately-resistant S. pneumoniae strains, 54.5% appeared to be genetically similar to penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae strains. Of penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae strains, 33.3% had mutations in the pbp2x gene and showed relatively high MICs to cephalosporins. Strains with mutations in the three PBP genes were often isolated from children < or = 2 years old. Evaluation of mutations in PBP genes using PCR will prove useful for studying the epidemiology of antibiotic resistance.
Hotomi
Muneki
M
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Japan. mhotomi@wakayama-med.ac.jp
Yamanaka
Noboru
N
Faden
Howard
H
Shimada
Jun
J
Suzumoto
Masaki
M
Sakai
Akihiro
A
Saito
Tadahito
T
Kuki
Kiyonori
K
D000208:Acute Disease; D019881:Aminoacyltransferases; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018550:Cephalosporin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000382:microbiology*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010406:Penicillins; D019881:Aminoacyltransferases; C478701:penicillin-binding protein 2b, Streptococcus; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase