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In vitro susceptibility studies and detection of vancomycin resistance genes in clinical isolates of enterococci in Nagasaki, Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 1997

Y. HIRAKATA
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
T. YAMAGUCHI
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
K. IZUMIKAWA
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
J. MATSUDA
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
K. TOMONO
Affiliation:
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
M. KAKU
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki 216, Japan
H. KOGA
Affiliation:
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
Y. YAMADA
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
S. KOHNO
Affiliation:
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
S. KAMIHIRA
Affiliation:
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki 852, Japan
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Abstract

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Glycopeptide resistance in enterococci is now a cause of clinical concern in the United States and Europe. However, details of vancomycin resistance in enterococci in Japan have been unknown. We measured minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of various antimicrobial agents for a total of 218 clinical strains of enterococci isolated in our hospital in 1995–6 in addition to 15 strains with known genotypic markers of resistance. We also screened vancomycin resistance genes using a single step multiplex-PCR.

In clinical isolates, only two strains of Enterococcus gallinarum were of intermediate resistance to vancomycin (MIC, 8 μg/ml), while the others were all susceptible. Glycopeptides (vancomycin and teicoplanin) and streptogramins (RP 58500 and RPR 106972) showed potent antimicrobial effects for the isolates. In addition, ampicillin was also potent for Enterococcus faecalis, while ampicillin, minocycline and gentamicin were potent for Enterococcus avium. No vanA or vanB genes were detected, while vanC1 and vanC23 genes were detected from two and four strains, respectively. Our results suggest that incidence of VRE in Japan may be estimated as still very low at this time.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1997 Cambridge University Press