[Molecular identification of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes among strains of Enterococcus spp. isolated in hospitals of the VIII Region of Chile].
BACKGROUND
Infectious diseases produced by Enterococcus spp, must be treated with a synergistic combination between a penicillin and an aminoglycoside. High level resistance to aminoglycosides is a serious therapeutic problem, since it predicts the loss of synergistic activity of this antimicrobial combination.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the presence of genes encoding aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AMEs) among strains of Enterococcus spp with high level of resistance to aminoglycosides.


METHODS
The genes encoding some of the AMEs were investigated among 305 aminoglycoside-resistant strains of Enterococcus spp isolated in hospitals of the VIII region of Chile, by dot blot hybridization and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCS).


RESULTS
High level resistance to some aminoglycosides was observed in 104 strains (34.1 %) and 93 of these harbored at least one of the genes encoding the investigated AMEs. Three genes were detected: aac(6)Ie-aph(2")Ia (14.8%) encoding for the enzyme AAC(6)Ie-APH(2")Ia (resistance to all aminoglycosides, except streptomycin); aph(3)IIIa (26%), and ant(6)la (28.5%) encoding for the phosphorylating enzymes APH(3)Ilia (resistance to kanamycin, amikacin and neomycin), and ANT(6)-la (resistance only to streptomycin), respectively. None of the strains harbored the gene ant (4) which encode for the enzyme ANT (4).


CONCLUSIONS
The low frequency of strains harbouring the bifunctional enzyme (<15%), conferring an extended resistance profile to aminoglycosides, allows us to propose the empirical use of aminoglycoside-aminocyclitols, associated to a penicillin, in the treatment of serious infections produced by species of enterococci.
Departamento de Medicina Interna, Facultad de Medicina,Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
Marcela A
MA
Sepúlveda
Helia T
HT
Bello
Mariana Y
MY
Domínguez
Sergio M
SM
Mella
Raúl Z
RZ
Zemelman
Gerardo R
GR
González
D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D000617:Aminoglycosides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002677:Chile; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics
D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C108453:6'-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase-2''-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor)