title: A survey of five broad-host-range plasmids in gram-negative bacilli isolated from patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To learn the prevalence of the primary classical broad-host-range (BHR) IncA/C, IncN, IncP, IncQ, and IncW plasmids in dominant gram-negative bacilli from inpatients in a teaching hospital in southern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multiplex polymerase chain reaction based on the replicons of BHR IncA/C, IncN, IncP, IncQ, and IncW plasmids was developed and used to determine these BHR plasmids. The difference in prevalence rates among the different species from three specimens was evaluated by a binary logistic regression model and the differences between multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and non-MDRO were assessed using a chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average positive detection percentages of the replicons were 4.3%, 3.7%, 3.0%, 2.6%, and 1.9%, respectively, for IncN, IncP, IncQ, IncW, and IncA/C in descending order. The distribution of all five BHR plasmids did not differ significantly between specimens collected from wounds and urine, although both were significantly higher than those of sputum. The prevalence rates of all five BHR plasmids in MDROs were significantly higher than those in non-MDRO for Enterobacteriaceae; however, no significant difference was seen in non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BHR IncA/C, IncN, IncP, IncQ, and IncW plasmids, which occur more often in bacilli from wound and urine specimens than those of sputum, are widespread in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from inpatients. The prevalence rates in MDRO are higher than those in non-MDRO for Enterobacteriaceae but not significantly different for NFGNB.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Laboratory, Xiamen University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Guo-qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Laboratory, Xiamen University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Yi-hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Laboratory, Xiamen University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-lu
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control, Xiamen University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen, China. Electronic address: niujianjun@xmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jian-jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001407:Bacillus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D016972:Enterobacter cloacae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D058507:Host Specificity / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D011513:Proteus mirabilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012093:Replicon / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Horizontal gene transfer; Plasmid; Polymerase chain reaction