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Molecular characterization of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates from Korea.
Kwan Soo Ko1, Jin Yang Baek, Ji-Young Lee
1Asian-Pacific Research Foundation for Infectious Diseases, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|May 6, 2005
Summary
An epidemic clonal group of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) with the esp gene is present in Asia. This VREF clone has diversified into multiple genetic types over time.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) poses a significant healthcare challenge.
- Understanding the genetic diversity and clonal evolution of VREF is crucial for infection control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the genotypic features of VREF isolates from Korean hospitals.
- To investigate the clonal lineage and genetic diversity of VREF in Asia.
Main Methods:
- Multiplex PCR, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and esp gene analysis were employed.
- Phenotypic analysis of vancomycin resistance (VanA, VanB) was correlated with genotypic findings.
Main Results:
- The study analyzed 98 VREF isolates, identifying the vanA gene in most VanA and VanB phenotype isolates.
- MLST revealed a dominant clonal complex (CC78) with 9 sequence types, indicating a single major clonal lineage.
- The esp gene was universally detected, with 12 distinct repeat profiles, and five strains showed phenotype-genotype incongruence.
Conclusions:
- An epidemic VREF clonal group, CC78, carrying the esp gene, is prevalent in Asia.
- This dominant VREF clone has undergone diversification into multiple genotypic clones through evolutionary processes.