Evaluating the Rapid Emergence of Daptomycin Resistance in Corynebacterium: a Multicenter Study

Members of the genus Corynebacterium are increasingly recognized as pathobionts and can be very resistant to antimicrobial agents. Previous studies have demonstrated that Corynebacterium striatum can rapidly develop high-level daptomycin resistance (HLDR) (MIC, ≥256 μg/ml). Here, we conducted a multicenter study to assay for this in vitro phenotype in diverse Corynebacterium species. Corynebacterium clinical isolates (n = 157) from four medical centers were evaluated. MIC values to daptomycin, vancomycin, and telavancin were determined before and after overnight exposure to daptomycin to identify isolates able to rapidly develop daptomycin nonsusceptibility. To investigate assay reproducibility, 18 isolates were evaluated at three study sites. In addition, the stability of daptomycin nonsusceptibility was tested using repeated subculture without selective pressure. The impact of different medium brands was also investigated. Daptomycin nonsusceptibility emerged in 12 of 23 species evaluated in this study (C. afermentans, C. amycolatum, C. aurimucosum, C. bovis, C. jeikeium, C. macginleyi, C. pseudodiphtheriticum, C. resistens, C. simulans, C. striatum, C. tuberculostearicum, and C. ulcerans) and was detected in 50 of 157 (31.8%) isolates tested. All isolates displayed low (susceptible) MIC values to vancomycin and telavancin before and after daptomycin exposure. Repeated subculture demonstrated that 2 of 9 isolates (22.2%) exhibiting HLDR reverted to a susceptible phenotype. Of 30 isolates tested on three medium brands, 13 (43.3%) had differences in daptomycin MIC values between brands. Multiple Corynebacterium species can rapidly develop daptomycin nonsusceptibility, including HLDR, after a short daptomycin exposure period.