scholarly journals Determining the Development of Persisters in Extensively Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii upon Exposure to Polymyxin B-Based Antibiotic Combinations Using Flow Cytometry

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Hui-Sian Wong ◽  
Yiying Cai ◽  
Hui Leck ◽  
Tze-Peng Lim ◽  
Jocelyn Qi-Min Teo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Polymyxin B-based combinations are increasingly prescribed as a last-line option against extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii. It is unknown if such combinations can result in the development of nondividing persister cells in XDR A. baumannii. We investigated persister development upon exposure of XDR A. baumannii to polymyxin B-based antibiotic combinations using flow cytometry. Time-kill studies (TKSs) were conducted in three nonclonal XDR A. baumannii strains with 5 log10 CFU/ml bacteria against polymyxin B alone and polymyxin B-based two-drug combinations over 24 h. At different time points, samples were obtained and enumerated by viable plating and flow cytometry. Propidium iodide and carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester dyes were used to differentiate between live and dead cells and between dividing and nondividing cells, respectively, at the single-cell level, and nondividing live cells were resuscitated and characterized phenotypically. Our results from viable plating showed that polymyxin B plus meropenem and polymyxin B plus rifampin were each bactericidal (>99.9% kill compared to the initial inoculum) against 2/3 XDR A. baumannii strains at 24 h. By flow cytometry, however, none of the combinations were bactericidal against XDR A. baumannii at 24 h. Further analysis using cellular dyes in flow cytometry revealed that upon exposure to polymyxin B-based combinations, XDR A. baumannii entered a viable but nondividing persister state. These bacterial cells reinitiated division upon the removal of antibiotic pressure and did not have a growth deficit compared to the parent strain. We conclude that persister cells develop in XDR A. baumannii upon exposure to polymyxin B-based combinations and that nonplating methods appear to complement viable-plating methods in describing the killing activity of polymyxin B-based combinations against XDR A. baumannii.

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (10) ◽  
pp. 6575-6580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Helena Rigatto ◽  
Fabiane J. Vieira ◽  
Laura C. Antochevis ◽  
Tainá F. Behle ◽  
Natane T. Lopes ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThere is no clinical evidence supporting the use of polymyxin B in combination with another antimicrobial for infections caused by extensively drug-resistantAcinetobacter baumanniiorPseudomonas aeruginosaisolates. We developed a cohort study of patients in two intensive care units from teaching hospitals to evaluate treatment with intravenous polymyxin B for ≥48 h for severeA. baumanniiorP. aeruginosainfections. Covariates potentially associated with 30-day mortality were evaluated in a Cox proportional hazards model. A total of 101 patients were included; 33 (32.7%) were treated with polymyxin B in combination with an antimicrobial lackingin vitroactivity and 68 (67.3%) with polymyxin B in monotherapy. The overall 30-day mortality was 59.4% (60 patients), comprising 42.4% (14 of 33) and 67.6% (46 of 68) in combination and monotherapy groups, respectively (P= 0.03). The mortality rates were 18.5/1,000 patient days and 36.4/1,000 patient days in the combination and monotherapy groups, respectively (P= 0.02). Combination therapy was independently associated with lower 30-day mortality (hazard ratio, 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.17 to 0.64;P= 0.001). Creatinine clearance of ≥60 ml/min was also a protective factor, while a higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) score and polymicrobial infection were associated with increased mortality. The results did not change after adding a propensity score for prescribing combination therapy into the model. The protective effect remained when only combination with β-lactam or carbapenem was considered and in both subgroups of patients: those withA. baumanniiinfection and those with lower respiratory tract infections. To our knowledge, this is the first clinical study to show a benefit of combination over monotherapy with polymyxin B for severe extensively drug-resistantA. baumanniiorP. aeruginosainfections.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (40) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peechanika Chopjitt ◽  
Thidathip Wongsurawat ◽  
Piroon Jenjaroenpun ◽  
Parichart Boueroy ◽  
Rujirat Hatrongjit ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Here, we report the complete genome sequences of four clinical isolates of extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (XDRAB), isolated in Thailand. These results revealed multiple antimicrobial-resistant genes, each involving two sequence type 16 (ST16) isolates, ST2, and a novel sequence type isolate, ST1479.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 6892-6895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek N. Bremmer ◽  
Karri A. Bauer ◽  
Stephanie M. Pouch ◽  
Keelie Thomas ◽  
Debra Smith ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWe tested 76 extensively drug-resistant (XDR)Acinetobacter baumanniiisolates by the checkerboard method using only wells containing serum-achievable concentrations (SACs) of drugs. Checkerboard results were correlated by time-kill assay and clinical outcomes. Minocycline-colistin was the best combinationin vitro, as it inhibited growth in one or more SAC wells in all isolates. Patients who received a combination that inhibited growth in one or more SAC wells demonstrated better microbiological clearance than those who did not (88% versus 30%;P= 0.025). The checkerboard platform may have clinical utility for XDRA. baumanniiinfections.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 2720-2725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana R. Bowers ◽  
Henry Cao ◽  
Jian Zhou ◽  
Kimberly R. Ledesma ◽  
Dongxu Sun ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAntimicrobial resistance amongAcinetobacter baumanniiis increasing worldwide, often necessitating combination therapy. The clinical utility of using minocycline with polymyxin B is not well established. In this study, we investigated the activity of minocycline and polymyxin B against 1 laboratory isolate and 3 clinical isolates ofA. baumannii. Minocycline susceptibility testing was performed with and without an efflux pump inhibitor, phenylalanine-arginine β-naphthylamide (PAβN). The intracellular minocycline concentration was determined with and without polymyxin B (0.5 μg/ml). Time-kill studies were performed over 24 h using approximately 106CFU/ml of each strain with clinically relevant minocycline concentrations (2 μg/ml and 8 μg/ml), with and without polymyxin B (0.5 μg/ml). Thein vivoefficacy of the combination was assessed in a neutropenic murine pneumonia model. Infected animals were administered minocycline (50 mg/kg), polymyxin B (10 mg/kg), or both to achieve clinically equivalent exposures in humans. A reduction in the minocycline MIC (≥4×) was observed in the presence of PAβN. The intracellular concentration andin vitrobactericidal effect of minocycline were both enhanced by polymyxin B. With 2 minocycline-susceptible strains, the bacterial burden in lung tissue at 24 h was considerably reduced by the combination compared to monotherapy with minocycline or polymyxin B. In addition, the combination prolonged survival of animals infected with a minocycline-susceptible strain. Polymyxin B increased the intracellular concentration of minocycline in bacterial cells and enhanced the bactericidal activity of minocycline, presumably due to efflux pump disruption. The clinical utility of this combination should be further investigated.


mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghiwa Makke ◽  
Ibrahim Bitar ◽  
Tamara Salloum ◽  
Balig Panossian ◽  
Sahar Alousi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is an important opportunistic pathogen linked to a variety of nosocomial infections and hospital outbreaks worldwide. This study aimed at investigating and characterizing a CRAB outbreak at a large tertiary hospital in Lebanon. A total of 41 isolates were collected and analyzed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on all the isolates, and long-read PacBio sequencing was used to generate reference genomes. The multilocus sequence types (MLST), repertoire of resistance genes, and virulence factors were determined from the sequencing data. The plasmid content was analyzed both in silico and using the A. baumannii PCR-based replicon typing (AB-PBRT) method. Genome analysis initially revealed two clones, one carrying blaOXA-23 on Tn2006 (ST-1305, ST-195, and ST-218) and another carrying blaOXA-72 on pMAL-1 (ST-502 and ST-2059, a new ST), with the latter having two subclones, as revealed using the Bayesian transmission network. All isolates were extensively drug resistant (XDR). WGS analysis revealed the transmission pathways and demonstrated the diversity of CRAB isolates and mobile genetic elements in this health care setting. Outbreak detection using WGS and immediate implementation of infection control measures contribute to restraining the spread and decreasing mortality. IMPORTANCE Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has been implicated in hospital outbreaks worldwide. Here, we present a whole-genome-based investigation of an extensively drug-resistant CRAB outbreak rapidly spreading and causing high incidences of mortality at numerous wards of a large tertiary hospital in Lebanon. This is the first study of its kind in the region. Two circulating clones were identified using a combination of molecular typing approaches, short- and long-read sequencing and Bayesian transmission network analysis. One clone carried blaOXA-23 on Tn2006 (ST-1305, ST-195, and ST-218), and another carried blaOXA-72 on a pMAL-1 plasmid (ST-502 and ST-2059, a new ST). A pMAL-2 plasmid was circulating between the two clones. The approaches implemented in this study and the obtained findings facilitate the tracking of outbreak scenarios in Lebanon and the region at large.


mSphere ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian M. Luna ◽  
Amber Ulhaq ◽  
Jun Yan ◽  
Paul Pantapalangkoor ◽  
Travis B. Nielsen ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and pan-drug-resistant (PDR) strains of Acinetobacter baumannii have frequently been characterized. The ability of A. baumannii to develop resistance to antibiotics is a key reason this organism has been difficult to study using genetic and molecular biology approaches. Here we report selectable markers that are not only useful but necessary for the selection of drug-resistant transformants in the setting of drug-resistant backgrounds. Use of these selectable markers can be applied to a variety of genetic and molecular techniques such as mutagenesis and transformation. These selectable markers will help promote genetic and molecular biology studies of otherwise onerous drug-resistant strains, while avoiding the generation of pathogenic organisms that are resistant to clinically relevant antibiotics. Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most antibiotic-resistant pathogens in clinical medicine, and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains are commonly isolated from infected patients. Such XDR strains are already resistant to traditional selectable genetic markers, limiting the ability to conduct pathogenesis research by genetic disruption. Optimization of selectable markers is therefore critical for the advancement of fundamental molecular biology techniques to use in these strains. We screened 23 drugs that constitute a broad array of antibiotics spanning multiple drug classes against HUMC1, a highly virulent and XDR A. baumannii clinical blood and lung isolate. HUMC1 is resistant to all clinically useful antibiotics that are reported by the clinical microbiology laboratory, except for colistin. Ethical concerns about intentionally establishing pan-resistance, including to the last-line agent, colistin, in a clinical isolate made identification of other markers desirable. We screened additional antibiotics that are in clinical use and those that are useful only in a lab setting to identify selectable markers that were effective at selecting for transformants in vitro. We show that supraphysiological levels of tetracycline can overcome innate drug resistance displayed by this XDR strain. Last, we demonstrate that transformation of the tetA (tetracycline resistance) and Sh ble (zeocin resistance), but not pac (puromycin resistance), resistance cassettes allow for selection of drug-resistant transformants. These results make the genetic manipulation of XDR A. baumannii strains easily achieved. IMPORTANCE Multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and pan-drug-resistant (PDR) strains of Acinetobacter baumannii have frequently been characterized. The ability of A. baumannii to develop resistance to antibiotics is a key reason this organism has been difficult to study using genetic and molecular biology approaches. Here we report selectable markers that are not only useful but necessary for the selection of drug-resistant transformants in the setting of drug-resistant backgrounds. Use of these selectable markers can be applied to a variety of genetic and molecular techniques such as mutagenesis and transformation. These selectable markers will help promote genetic and molecular biology studies of otherwise onerous drug-resistant strains, while avoiding the generation of pathogenic organisms that are resistant to clinically relevant antibiotics.


2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 436-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thean Yen Tan ◽  
Tze Peng Lim ◽  
Winnie Hui Ling Lee ◽  
Suranthran Sasikala ◽  
Li Yang Hsu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThis study examined thein vitroeffects of polymyxin B, tigecycline, and rifampin combinations on 16 isolates of extensively drug-resistantAcinetobacter baumannii, including four polymyxin-resistant strains.In vitrosynergy was demonstrated in 19 (40%) of a possible 48 isolate-antibiotic combinations by time-kill methods, 8 (17%) by checkerboard methods, and only 1 (2%) by Etest methods. There was only slight agreement between Etest and checkerboard methods and no agreement between results obtained by other methods.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 2515-2524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tze-Peng Lim ◽  
Yiying Cai ◽  
Yanjun Hong ◽  
Eric Chun Yong Chan ◽  
Sasikala Suranthran ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTExtensively drug-resistant (XDR)Klebsiella pneumoniaeis an emerging pathogen in Singapore. With limited therapeutic options available, combination antibiotics may be the only viable option. In this study, we aimed to elucidate effective antibiotic combinations against XDRK. pneumoniaeisolates. Six NDM-1-producing and two OXA-181-producingK. pneumoniaestrains were exposed to 12 antibiotics alone and in combination via time-kill studies. A hollow-fiber infection model (HFIM) with pharmacokinetic validation was used to simulate clinically relevant tigecycline-plus-meropenem dosing regimens against 2 XDRK. pneumoniaeisolates over 240 h. The emergence of resistance against tigecycline was quantified using drug-free and selective (tigecycline at 3× the MIC) media. Thein vitrogrowth rates were determined and serial passages on drug-free and selective media were carried out on resistant isolates obtained at 240 h. Both the polymyxin B and tigecycline MICs ranged from 1 to 4 mg/liter. In single time-kill studies, all antibiotics alone demonstrated regrowth at 24 h, except for polymyxin B against 2 isolates. Tigecycline plus meropenem was found to be bactericidal in 50% of the isolates. For the isolates that produced OXA-181-like carbapenemases, none of the 55 tested antibiotic combinations was bactericidal. Against 2 isolates in the HFIM, tigecycline plus meropenem achieved a >90% reduction in bacterial burden for 96 h before regrowth was observed until 109CFU/ml at 240 h. Phenotypically stable and resistant isolates, which were recovered from tigecycline-supplemented plates post-HFIM studies, had lower growth rates than those of their respective parent isolates, possibly implying a substantial biofitness deficit in this population. We found that tigecycline plus meropenem may be a potential antibiotic combination for XDRK. pneumoniaeinfections, but its efficacy was strain specific.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qin Peng ◽  
Fei Lin ◽  
Baodong Ling

Abstract Acinetobacter baumannii is a common pathogen of nosocomial infection, and its ability to form biofilms further contributes to its virulence and multidrug resistance, posing a great threat to global public health. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of five biofilm inhibitors (BFIs) (zinc lactate, stannous fluoride, furanone, azithromycin, and rifampicin) on biofilm formation of nine extensively drug-resistant A. baumannii (XDRAB), and assessed the synergistic antibacterial effects of these BFIs when combined with one of four conventional anti-A. baumannii antibiotics (imipenem, meropenem, tigecycline, and polymyxin B). Each of the five BFIs tested was found to be able to significantly inhibit biofilm formation of all the clinical isolates tested under sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations. Then, we observed synergistic effects (in 22%, 56% and 11% of the isolates) and additive effects (56%, 44% and 44%) when zinc lactate, stannous fluoride and furanone were combined with tigecycline, respectively. When zinc lactate and stannous fluoride were each used with a carbapenem (imipenem or meropenem), in 33% and 56–67% of the isolates, they showed synergistic and additive effects, respectively. Additivity in > 50% of the isolates was detected when rifampicin was combined with imipenem, meropenem, tigecycline, or polymyxin B; and a 100% additivity was noted with azithromycin-polymyxin B combination. However, antagonism and indifference were noted for polymyxin B in its combination with zinc lactate and stannous fluoride, respectively. In conclusion, five BFIs in combination with four antibacterial drugs showed different degrees of in vitro synergistic and additive antibacterial effects against XDRAB.


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