title: Molecular typing, pathogenicity factor genes and antimicrobial susceptibility of vancomycin resistant enterococci in Belgrade, Serbia.
abstract: In this study the distribution of species and antimicrobial resistance among vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) recovered from clinical specimens obtained from five hospitals in Belgrade was analyzed. Strains were further characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to investigate the presence of vanA and vanB genes and pathogenicity factor genes. Identification of 194 VRE isolates revealed 154 Enterococcus faecium, 21 Enterococcus faecalis, 10 Enterococcus raffinosus and 9 Enterococcus gallinarum. This study revealed existence of 8 major clones of VRE. PCR determined vanA gene to be present in all of the VRE studied. Esp and hyl genes were present in 29.22% and 27.92% of E. faecium, respectively, and in 76.19% and 0 of E. faecalis, respectively. Esp and hyl genes were not found more frequently in members of predominant clones of E. faecium than in single isolates; nor was their presence connected to invasiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology of Clinical Center of Serbia , Belgrade , Serbia.
authors.forename: Milica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jovanović
authors.forename: Branko
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Milošević
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tošić
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stevanović
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mioljević
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inđić
authors.forename: Branko
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Velebit
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zervos
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005838:Genotype; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D058889:Molecular Typing; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D065507:Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037521:Virulence Factors; D014640:Vancomycin
keywords: antimicrobial resistance; pathogenicity factor genes; pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE); vancomyc in resistant enterococci (VRE)