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[In vitro susceptibility of Enterococcus strains to high level aminoglycosides and heavy metals]

Yaşar Nakipoğlu1, Defne Gümüş, Deniz Sertel Selale

  • 1Istanbul Universitesi Istanbul Tip Fakültesi, Mikrobiyoloji ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dali, Istanbul. yasarnakip@yahoo.com

Mikrobiyoloji Bulteni
|January 21, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Hospital enterococci show high resistance to lead and aminoglycosides, with co-resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals observed in 71.8% of strains. Further research is needed on lead resistance mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Environmental Science
  • Clinical Medicine

Context:

  • Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global health concern, exacerbated by hospital environments.
  • Heavy metal contamination in the environment is increasingly linked to the development of microbial resistance.
  • Enterococci are significant nosocomial pathogens, often exhibiting multidrug resistance.

Purpose:

  • To investigate the co-resistance of clinical enterococci isolates to high-level aminoglycosides and specific heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic).
  • To determine the prevalence of resistance profiles linking antibiotic and heavy metal resistance in enterococci.

Summary:

  • Thirty-nine Enterococcus strains from hospitalized patients were tested. High-level aminoglycoside resistance was prevalent, particularly in glycopeptide-resistant strains (91%).
  • All isolates demonstrated resistance to lead (100%), with low-level resistance observed for arsenic and mercury. No cadmium resistance was detected.
  • Co-resistance to antibiotics (aminoglycosides, vancomycin, teicoplanin) and heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury) was found in 71.8% of strains. Lead resistance was universal, irrespective of antibiotic resistance status.

Impact:

  • Highlights the significant co-occurrence of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance in clinical enterococci.
  • Suggests lead resistance in enterococci may be widespread and warrants further investigation into its mechanisms.
  • Provides crucial data for understanding resistance dynamics in hospital settings and informing infection control strategies.

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