임상검체에서 분리된 Escherichia coli와 Klebsiella pneumoniae의 Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase 유전자형 및 분자유전학적 특성

Abstract

Recently, the rapid increase in extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing clinical isolates has become a serious problem. In this study, the epidemiologic features and molecular characteristics of ESBL among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, antibiotic susceptibility testing, genotype of the ESBL and patterns of chromosomal DNA from PFGE (pulsed field gel electrophoresis) were observed. A total of 53 ESBL-producing clinical isolates (30 of E. coli and 23 of Klebsiella pneumoniae) were collected from two university hospitals in the period of June to July in 2002 and 2003 respectively. The antibiotic resistance frequency of those 53 strains was tested by the disk agar diffusion method with the result that all the strains were resistant to cephalothin. To other antibiotics, the resistance rates of E. coli (30 isolates) were in order of ceftazidime (90.0%), cefotaxime and aztreonam (respectively 83.3%). Also, the resistance rates of K. pneumoniae (23 isolates) were in order of aztreonam (78.3%), ceftazidime (73.9%) and cefotaxime (65.3%). Also the sensitivity of ceftazidime-clavulanic acid were 100% in E. coli and 95.7% in K. pneumoniae. And the sensitivity of cefotaxime-clavulanic acid was 96.7% in E. coli and 91.3% in K. pneumoniae. The types of the ESBL genes were determined by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among the 30 isolates of ESBL-producing E. coli, 6 (20.0%) have SHV only, 5 (16.7%) have TEM only and, 18 (60.0%) have both of TEM and SHV. Among the 23 isolates of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, 7 (30.4%) have SHV only, 2 (8.7%) have TEM only, and 14 (60.9%) have both of TEM and SHV. These results show that 52 strains, with only one exception, were confirmed as either TEM or SHV. The patterns of XbaⅠ-digested chromosomal DNA of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates were analyzed by PFGE. PFGE patterns of E. coli and K. pneumoniae were multiclonal, but many strains were grouped into a few types. Therefore, it seems that there were clonal outbreaks or possible horizontal spread. In conclusion, the TEM and SHV β-lactamase are most widely spread in E. coli and K. pneumoniae in Korea. As these types are usually carried by plasmids, the spread of these β-lactamase genes could compromise the future usefulness of third generation cephalosporins for the treatment of infections caused by E. coli and K. pneumoniae.