Clinical relevance of molecular identification of microorganisms and detection of antimicrobial resistance genes in bloodstream infections of paediatric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are the major cause of mortality in cancer patients. Molecular techniques are used for rapid diagnosis of BSI, allowing early therapy and improving survival. We aimed to establish whether real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) could improve early diagnosis and therapy in paediatric cancer patients, and describe the predominant pathogens of BSI and their antimicrobial susceptibility. METHODS: Blood samples were processed by the BACTEC system and microbial identification and susceptibility tests were performed by the Phoenix system. All samples were screened by multiplex 16 s rDNA qPCR. Seventeen species were evaluated using sex-specific TaqMan probes and resistance genes blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX, blaKPC, blaIMP, blaSPM, blaVIM, vanA, vanB and mecA were screened by SYBR Green reactions. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated at the time of positive blood culture and at final phenotypic identification and antimicrobial susceptibility results. RESULTS: We analyzed 69 episodes of BSI from 64 patients. Gram-positive bacteria were identified in 61 % of the samples, Gram-negative bacteria in 32 % and fungi in 7 %. There was 78.2 % of agreement between the phenotypic and molecular methods in final species identification. The mecA gene was detected in 81.4 % of Staphylococcus spp., and 91.6 % were concordant with the phenotypic method. Detection of vanA gene was 100 % concordant. The concordance for Gram-negative susceptibilities was 71.4 % for Enterobacteriaceae and 50 % for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therapy was more frequently inadequate in patients who died, and the molecular test was concordant with the phenotypic susceptibility test in 50 %. CONCLUSIONS: qPCR has potential indication for early identification of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes from BSI in paediatric cancer patients and may improve antimicrobial therapy.

Diagnosis of bacteremia in pediatric oncologic patients by in-house real-time PCR.

BACKGROUND: Infections are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in children with cancer. Gaining a favorable prognosis for these patients depends on selecting the appropriate therapy, which in turn depends on rapid and accurate microbiological diagnosis. This study employed real-time PCR (qPCR) to identify the main pathogens causing bloodstream infection (BSI) in patients treated at the Pediatric Oncology Institute IOP-GRAACC-UNIFESP-Brazil. Antimicrobial resistance genes were also investigated using this methodology. METHODS: A total of 248 samples from BACTEC® blood culture bottles and 99 whole-blood samples collected in tubes containing EDTA K2 Gel were isolated from 137 patients. All samples were screened by specific Gram probes for multiplex qPCR. Seventeen sequences were evaluated using gender-specific TaqMan probes and the resistance genes bla SHV, bla TEM, bla CTX, bla KPC, bla IMP, bla SPM, bla VIM, vanA, vanB and mecA were detected using the SYBR Green method. RESULTS: Positive qPCR results were obtained in 112 of the blood culture bottles (112/124), and 90 % agreement was observed between phenotypic and molecular microbial detection methods. For bacterial and fungal identification, the performance test showed: sensitivity 87 %; specificity 91 %; NPV 90 %; PPV 89 % and accuracy of 89 % when compared with the phenotypic method. The mecA gene was detected in 37 samples, extended-spectrum ß-lactamases were detected in six samples and metallo-ß-lactamase coding genes in four samples, with 60 % concordance between the two methods. The qPCR on whole blood detected eight samples possessing the mecA gene and one sample harboring the vanB gene. The bla KPC, bla VIM, bla IMP and bla SHV genes were not detected in this study. CONCLUSION: Real-time PCR is a useful tool in the early identification of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes from bloodstream infections of pediatric oncologic patients.

Diagnosis by real-time polymerase chain reaction of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes in bone marrow transplant patients with bloodstream infections.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in bloodstream infections (BSIs) decreases morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The aim of the present study was to compare real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with commercial kits for detection of 17 pathogens from blood culture (BC) and 10 antimicrobial resistance genes. METHODS: A total of 160 BCs were taken from bone marrow transplant patients and screened with Gram-specific probes by multiplex real-time PCR and 17 genus-specific sequences using TaqMan probes and blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX, blaKPC, blaIMP, blaSPM, blaVIM, vanA, vanB, and mecA genes by SYBR Green. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 33 samples identified by phenotypic testing were concordantly positive by BC and real-time PCR. Pathogen identification was discordant in 13 cases. In 12 of 15 coagulase-negative staphylococci, the mecA gene was detected and four Enterococcus spp. were positive for vanA. Two blaCTX and three blaSHV genes were found by quantitative PCR. The blaKPC and metallo-ß-lactamase genes were not detected. Five fungal species were identified only by real-time PCR. CONCLUSIONS: Real-time PCR could be a valuable complementary tool in the management of BSI in bone marrow transplants patients, allowing identification of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes.

Tipagem molecular de amostras de pseudomonas aeruginosa produtoras de metalo-ß-lactamases isoladas em João Pessoa/PB / The presence of pseudomonas aeruginosa strains producing MBLs isolated in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

Pseudomonas aeruginosa é um patógeno oportunista que apresenta um alto nível de resistência aos antimicrobianos, sendo freqüentemente isolado com capacidade de produzir metalo ß-lactamases (MBLs), que são enzimas com atividade sobre vários ß-lactâmicos, incluindo cefamicinas e carbapenens. O trabalho teve por objetivo confirmar por tipagem molecular a presença de linhagens de pseudomonas aeruginosa produtoras de MBLs já detectadas por métodos fenotípicos. Foram analisadas 250 amostras não repetitivas de P. aeruginosa identificadas por métodos de rotina. Foram consideradas para análise as cepas que mostraram-se multirresistentes, com diminuição de sensibilidade ao imipenem (halo<16mm) e a ceftazidima (halo<18mm). Estas foram submetidas aos testes fenotípicos de dupla difusão com discos em superfície de agar e ao método E-test padronizados para a detecção de MBLs, confirmadas pelo método molecular de PCR. Como resultado foi obtido um percentual de 14,8 porcento de resistência cruzada ao imipenem/ceftazidima com identificação de (8/250) 3,2 porcento de amostras produtoras de MBLs, das quais 75 porcento foram caracterizadas como SPM-1 e 25 porcento como IMP-1. Destacando-se a importância do isolamento de amostras com o gene SPM-1 em nosso meio, sem que haja um relacionamento epidemiológico. O aparecimento destes tipos de amostras se configura um problema emergente, com importantes implicações na terapêutica antimicrobiana e necessitando, portanto, de maior investigação através de metodologia molecular mais discriminatória, para melhor caracterizar a extensão do problema.