The epidemiology and clinical spectrum of melioidosis in a teaching hospital in a North-Eastern state of Malaysia: a fifteen-year review.

BACKGROUND: Over the last two decades, many epidemiological studies were performed to describe risks and clinical presentations of melioidosis in endemic countries. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 158 confirmed cases of melioidosis collected from medical records from 2001 to 2015 in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia, in order to update the current status of melioidosis clinical epidemiology in this putatively high risk region of the country. RESULTS: Principal presentations in patients were lung infection in 65 (41.1 %), skin infection in 44 (27.8 %), septic arthritis/osteomyelitis in 20 (12.7 %) and liver infection in 19 (12.0 %). Bacteremic melioidosis was seen in most of patients (n = 121, 76.6 %). Focal melioidosis was seen in 124 (78.5 %) of patients and multi-focal melioidosis was reported in 45 (28.5 %) cases. Melioidosis with no evident focus was in 34 (21.5 %) patients. Fifty-four (34.2 %) patients developed septic shock. Internal organ abscesses and secondary foci in lungs and/or soft tissue were common. A total of 67 (41 %) cases presented during the monsoonal wet season. Death due to melioidosis was reported in 52 (32.9 %) patients, while relapses were occurred in 11 (7.0 %). Twelve fatal melioidosis cases seen in this study were directly attributed to the absence of prompt acute-phase treatment. Predisposing risk factors were reported in most of patients (n = 133, 84.2 %) and included diabetes (74.7 %), immune disturbances (9.5 %), cancer (4.4 %) and chronic kidney disease (11.4 %). On multivariate analysis, the only independent predictors of mortality were the presence of at least one co-morbid factor (OR 3.0; 95 % CI 1.1-8.4), the happening of septic shock (OR 16.5; 95 % CI 6.1-44.9) and age > 40 years (OR 6.47; 95 % CI 1.7-23.8). CONCLUSIONS: Melioidosis should be recognized as an opportunistic nonfatal infection for healthy person. Prompt early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotics administration and critical care help in improved management and minimizing risks for death.

Probing the penetration of antimicrobial polymyxin lipopeptides into gram-negative bacteria.

The dry antibiotic development pipeline coupled with the emergence of multidrug resistant Gram-negative 'superbugs' has driven the revival of the polymyxin lipopeptide antibiotics. Polymyxin resistance implies a total lack of antibiotics for the treatment of life-threatening infections. The lack of molecular imaging probes that possess native polymyxin-like antibacterial activity is a barrier to understanding the resistance mechanisms and the development of a new generation of polymyxin lipopeptides. Here we report the regioselective modification of the polymyxin B core scaffold at the N-terminus with the dansyl fluorophore to generate an active probe that mimics polymyxin B pharmacologically. Time-lapse laser scanning confocal microscopy imaging of the penetration of probe (1) into Gram-negative bacterial cells revealed that the probe initially accumulates in the outer membrane and subsequently penetrates into the inner membrane and finally the cytoplasm. The implementation of this polymyxin-mimetic probe will advance the development of platforms for the discovery of novel polymyxin lipopeptides with efficacy against polymyxin-resistant strains.

Ocular surface infections in northeastern state of malaysia: a 10-year review of bacterial isolates and antimicrobial susceptibility.

OBJECTIVE: Ocular surface infections that include infections of conjunctiva, adnexa, and cornea have the potential risk of causing blindness within a given population. Empirical antibiotic therapy is usually initiated based on epidemiological data of common causative agents. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine the bacterial agents and their susceptibility patterns of isolates from ocular surface specimens in our hospital. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis and records of bacterial isolates from ocular surface specimens in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from January 2001 to December 2010 were examined. Specimens were processed according to standard laboratory procedures. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations. Only single, nonrepetitive isolates were included in the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1,267 isolates were obtained during the study period, which comprised Staphylococcus aureus (n = 299, 23.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 194, 15.3%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 108, 8.5%), Haemophilus influenzae (n = 100, 7.9%), Haemophilus parainfluenzae (n = 84, 6.6%), and Enterobacter spp. (n = 81, 6.4%). Fungi contributed to 4.4% of the total isolates. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing demonstrated that gram-positive bacteria were generally resistant to gentamicin (19%-57%), whereas gram-negative bacteria were resistant to chloramphenicol (27%-58%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the above results, knowledge of the initial Gram stain findings is imperative before the commencement of empirical antibiotic therapy. Therefore, a simple Gram staining for all eye specimens is highly recommended.

The combination of colistin and doripenem is synergistic against Klebsiella pneumoniae at multiple inocula and suppresses colistin resistance in an in vitro pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae may require combination therapy. We systematically investigated bacterial killing with colistin and doripenem mono- and combination therapy against MDR K. pneumoniae and emergence of colistin resistance. A one-compartment in vitro pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model was employed over a 72-h period with two inocula (∼10(6) and ∼10(8) CFU/ml); a colistin-heteroresistant reference strain (ATCC 13883) and three clinical isolates (colistin-susceptible FADDI-KP032 [doripenem resistant], colistin-heteroresistant FADDI-KP033, and colistin-resistant FADDI-KP035) were included. Four combinations utilizing clinically achievable concentrations were investigated. Microbiological responses were examined by determining log changes and population analysis profiles (for emergence of colistin resistance) over 72 h. Against colistin-susceptible and -heteroresistant isolates, combinations of colistin (constant concentration regimens of 0.5 or 2 mg/liter) plus doripenem (steady-state peak concentration [C(max)] of 2.5 or 25 mg/liter over 8 h; half-life, 1.5 h) generally resulted in substantial improvements in bacterial killing at both inocula. Combinations were additive or synergistic against ATCC 13883, FADDI-KP032, and FADDI-KP033 in 9, 9, and 14 of 16 cases (4 combinations at 6, 24, 48, and 72 h) at the 10(6)-CFU/ml inoculum and 14, 11, and 12 of 16 cases at the 10(8)-CFU/ml inoculum, respectively. Combinations at the highest dosage regimens resulted in undetectable bacterial counts at 72 h in 5 of 8 cases (4 isolates at 2 inocula). Emergence of colistin-resistant subpopulations in colistin-susceptible and -heteroresistant isolates was virtually eliminated with combination therapy. Against the colistin-resistant isolate, colistin at 2 mg/liter plus doripenem (C(max), 25 mg/liter) at the low inoculum improved bacterial killing. This investigation provides important information for optimization of colistin-doripenem combinations.

A secondary mode of action of polymyxins against Gram-negative bacteria involves the inhibition of NADH-quinone oxidoreductase activity.

Polymyxin B and colistin were examined for their ability to inhibit the type II NADH-quinone oxidoreductases (NDH-2) of three species of Gram-negative bacteria. Polymyxin B and colistin inhibited the NDH-2 activity in preparations from all of the isolates in a concentration-dependent manner. The mechanism of NDH-2 inhibition by polymyxin B was investigated in detail with Escherichia coli inner membrane preparations and conformed to a mixed inhibition model with respect to ubiquinone-1 and a non-competitive inhibition model with respect to NADH. These suggest that the inhibition of vital respiratory enzymes in the bacterial inner membrane represents one of the secondary modes of action for polymyxins.

Surface changes and polymyxin interactions with a resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

This study examines the interaction of polymyxin B and colistin with the surface and outer membrane components of a susceptible and resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The interaction between polymyxins and bacterial membrane and isolated LPS from paired wild type and polymyxin-resistant strains of K. pneumoniae were examined with N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine (NPN) uptake, fluorometric binding and thermal shift assays, lysozyme and deoxycholate sensitivity assays, and by (1)H NMR. LPS from the polymyxin-resistant strain displayed a reduced binding affinity for polymyxins B and colistin in comparison with the wild type LPS. The outer membrane NPN permeability of the resistant strain was greater compared with the susceptible strain. Polymyxin exposure enhanced the permeability of the outer membrane of the wild type strain to lysozyme and deoxycholate, whereas polymyxin concentrations up to 32 mg/ml failed to permeabilize the outer membrane of the resistant strain. Zeta potential measurements revealed that mid-logarithmic phase wild type cells exhibited a greater negative charge than the mid-logarithmic phase-resistant cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that the resistant derivative of K. pneumoniae can block the electrostatically driven first stage of polymyxin action, which thereby renders the hydrophobically driven second tier of polymyxin action on the outer membrane inconsequential.