title: Isolation and Characterization of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Isolates from a Brazilian Hospital.
abstract: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging nosocomial pathogen responsible for several infections in immunocompromised patients. To characterize the antimicrobial resistance and virulence potential of this microorganism in a Brazilian hospital, a total of 936 samples were collected from a nosocomial environment and medical devices, and 100 isolates from clinical specimens were obtained in the same hospital. S. maltophilia was found in 3% of the samples collected, especially in bed rails from hospital rooms. The smf-1 gene was detected in 23% and 42% of the clinical and hospital environment isolates, respectively, and almost all (96.8%) isolates that harbored smf-1 were able to form biofilm. All isolates were susceptible to minocycline and chloramphenicol, and the majority of isolates were susceptible to levofloxacin. High resistance to ceftazidime was detected in both groups of isolates. Resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) was found in 14.8% of the isolates. All TMP/SMX-resistant isolates presented class 1 integron and sul1 gene, and 47.4% of them also harbored the sul2 gene, which was inserted into a 7.3 kb plasmid. Genetic relatedness among the isolates was evaluated by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR, and eight genetic patterns were identified. One pattern comprised 54.7% of isolates and was spread among clinical and environmental (furniture and medical devices) sources. The presence of S. maltophilia in the hospital environment indicates that it can act as a reservoir of this microorganism. In addition, hospital isolates resistant to TMP/SMX showed that the genetic determinants were present in mobile elements, which can constitute great concern, as it may indicate a tendency to spread.
authors.affiliation: 1 Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) , Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Faculdade de Biociências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil .
authors.forename: Stephanie W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: 1 Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) , Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Faculdade de Biociências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil .
authors.forename: Thomaz P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: 1 Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) , Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Faculdade de Biociências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil .
authors.forename: Marjo C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bessa
authors.affiliation: 2 PUCRS, Departamento de Microbiologia do Laboratório de Patologia Clínica, Hospital São Lucas , Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil .
authors.forename: Vany E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Pagnussatti
authors.affiliation: 1 Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) , Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Faculdade de Biociências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil .
authors.forename: Carlos A S
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: 1 Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) , Laboratório de Imunologia e Microbiologia, Faculdade de Biociências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil .
authors.forename: Sílvia D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002442:Ceftazidime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D050456:Fomites / Q000382:microbiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D032023:Integrons; D064704:Levofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008911:Minocycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D002442:Ceftazidime; D008911:Minocycline
keywords: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia; antimicrobial resistance; biofilm; integrons; plasmid profile; sul genes