title: Prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus fecal colonization among kidney transplant patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  End stage renal disease patients are at risk of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) infections. The first reports of VRE isolation were from hemodialysis patients. However, to date, VRE fecal colonization rates as well as associated risk factors in kidney transplant patients have not yet been established in prospective studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected one or two stool samples from 280 kidney transplant patients and analysed the prevalence of VRE and its associated risk factors. Patients were evaluated according to the post-transplant period: group 1, less than 30 days after transplantation (102 patients), group 2, one to 6 months after transplantation (73 patients) and group 3, more than 6 months after transplantation (105 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence rate of fecal VRE colonization was 13.6% (38/280), respectively 13.7% for Group 1, 15.1% for group 2 and 12.4% for group 3. E. faecium and E. faecalis comprised 50% of all VRE isolates. No immunologic variables were clearly correlated with VRE colonization and no infections related to VRE colonization were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fecal VRE colonization rates in kidney transplant patients were as high as those reported for other high-risk groups, such as critical care and hemodialysis patients. This high rate of VRE colonization observed in kidney transplant recipients may have clinical relevance in infectious complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Hospital do Rim e Hipertensão, Brazil. mfreitas@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Maria Cecília S
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pacheco-Silva
authors.forename: Dulce
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Suzane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silbert
authors.forename: Hélio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sader
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sesso
authors.forename: Luis Fernando A
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Camargo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000254:growth & development*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance