title: Presence of virulence factors in Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium susceptible and resistant to vancomycin.
abstract: Despite the increasing importance of Enterococcus as opportunistic pathogens, their virulence factors are still poorly understood. This study determines the frequency of virulence factors in clinical and commensal Enterococcus isolates from inpatients in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Fifty Enterococcus isolates were analysed and the presence of the gelE, asa1 and esp genes was determined. Gelatinase activity and biofilm formation were also tested. The clonal relationships among the isolates were evaluated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The asa1, gelE and esp genes were identified in 38%, 60% and 76% of all isolates, respectively. The first two genes were more prevalent in Enterococcus faecalis than in Enterococcus faecium, as was biofilm formation, which was associated with gelE and asa1 genes, but not with the esp gene. The presence of gelE and the activity of gelatinase were not fully concordant. No relationship was observed among any virulence factors and specific subclones of E. faecalis or E. faecium resistant to vancomycin. In conclusion, E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates showed significantly different patterns of virulence determinants. Neither the source of isolation nor the clonal relationship or vancomycin resistance influenced their distribution.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Carolina Baldisserotto
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Comerlato
authors.forename: Mariah Costa Carvalho de
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Resende
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Caierão
authors.forename: Pedro Alves
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: d'Azevedo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037521:Virulence Factors; D014640:Vancomycin; D018093:Gelatinases
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