[Molecular characterization of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the homology and resistant mechanism of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) isolates.


METHODS
A total of 9 VRE isolates were collected from 2006 to 2007 at PUMC hospital. The susceptibility of these isolates to 10 different antibiotics including vancomycin was tested by E-test. These strains were processed by brain heart infusion agar screening in the presence of vancomycin (6 microg/ml), and were analyzed for genotypic characteristics using the multiplex PCR. The homology of the isolates was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).


RESULTS
All the 9 VRE isolates were identified as Enterococci faecium. The visual analysis of PFGE patterns revealed 6 different PFGE types. The vanA gene was confirmed by PCR and sequencing in 9 VRE isolates, which were consistent between phenotype and genotype for glycopeptides resistance.


CONCLUSIONS
Only vanA genotype was detected in PUMC hospital. Clonal dissemination, horizontal gene transfer, and the selective pressure of antimicrobial agents may contribute to the increase of VRE.
Wang
He
H
Department of Clinical Laboratory, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
Xu
Ying-Chun
YC
Xie
Xiu-Li
XL
Wang
Peng
P
Zhu
Ren-Yuan
RY
Zhang
Xiao-Jiang
XJ
Wang
Hui
H
Chen
Min-Jun
MJ
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
D001426:Bacterial Proteins