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Virulence Determinants and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium Isolated

Maniya Arshadi1, Mahmood Mahmoudi2, Moloud Sadat Motahar3

  • 1Dept. of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Iranian Journal of Public Health
|February 16, 2018
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) in Iran shows high multidrug resistance and carries key virulence genes like esp and acm. Prevalence of esp and hyl genes differs between VRE and VSE, linked to antibiotic resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Investigating antibiotic resistance and virulence factors in Enterococcus faecium is crucial for public health.
  • Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) poses a significant treatment challenge globally.
  • Understanding the genetic basis of VRE pathogenicity aids in developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of antibiotic resistance and specific virulence genes in VRE.
  • To compare the prevalence of virulence genes between VRE and vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium (VSE) isolates.
  • To explore the relationship between virulence genes and antibiotic resistance patterns in E. faecium.

Main Methods:

  • Collected 120 E. faecium isolates (80 VRE, 40 VSE) from four hospitals in southwest Iran.
  • Determined antibiotic resistance profiles of VRE isolates using the disk diffusion method.
  • Utilized multiplex PCR to detect virulence genes: enterococcal surface protein (esp), hyaluronidase (hyl), and collagen-binding adhesin (acm).

Main Results:

  • All VRE isolates exhibited multidrug resistance, with high resistance rates to ampicillin, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin.
  • The virulence genes esp, hyl, and acm were detected in 46.6%, 20.8%, and 86.6% of E. faecium isolates, respectively.
  • Significant differences in esp and hyl gene prevalence were observed between VRE and VSE isolates.

Conclusions:

  • High prevalence of multidrug resistance was found in VRE isolates from southwest Iran.
  • The study identified a significant association between the presence of esp and hyl genes and resistance to certain antibiotics.
  • Findings highlight the importance of monitoring VRE genetic markers for effective infection control strategies.
Keywords:
Antibiotic resistanceEnterococcus faeciumVancomycin-resistant enterococciVirulence determinants

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