title: [Investigation of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates].
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics and the probable clonal dissemination of 13 vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) strains isolated between February-August 2006 from 11 patients at the Hospital of Istanbul Faculty of Medicine. The in vitro activities of antibiotics were determined by disk diffusion method in accordance with the CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) guidelines and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values by E-test. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for detection of vanA, vanB and vanC genes and RAPD-PCR (Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR) for investigating a clonal relationship among the isolates. All isolates exhibited resistance to vancomycin, teicoplanin, ampicillin, and high-level resistance to streptomycin. VanA phenotype and the relevant vanA gene, characterised by resistance to both vancomycin and teicoplanin, were detected in all isolates which were all E. faecium. Molecular investigation by RAPD-PCR showed these strains to belong to four different patterns, each containing 1 to 5 isolates. According to these results, the spread of VRE within our hospital was considered as a polyclonal dissemination.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Universitesi istanbul Tip Fakültesi, Mikrobiyoloji ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dali, Istanbul. aktaszerrin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aktaş
authors.forename: Pinar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Diyarbakirli
authors.forename: Ciğdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bal
authors.forename: Nezahat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gürler
authors.forename: Melike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keser
authors.forename: Ayper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Somer
authors.forename: Nuran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salman
mesh_terms: D000667:Ampicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000235:genetics; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017334:Teicoplanin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014421:Turkey; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; C079913:VanB protein, Enterococcus; D017334:Teicoplanin; D000667:Ampicillin; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C108395:VanC protein, Enterococcus; D013307:Streptomycin