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Objectives To analyse the dynamics and mechanisms of stepwise resistance development to ceftolozane/tazobactam and imipenem/relebactam in XDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical strains. Methods XDR clinical isolates belonging to ST111 (main resistance mechanisms: oprD−, dacB−, CARB-2), ST175 (oprD−, ampR-G154R) and ST235 (oprD−, OXA-2) high-risk clones were incubated for 24 h in Müeller-Hinton Broth with 0.125–64 mg/L of ceftolozane + tazobactam 4 mg/L or imipenem + relebactam 4 mg/L. Tubes from the highest antibiotic concentration showing growth were reinoculated into fresh medium containing concentrations up to 64 mg/L for 7 consecutive days. Two colonies per strain from each of the triplicate experiments were characterized by determining the susceptibility profiles, whole genome sequencing (WGS), and in vitro fitness through competitive growth assays. Results Resistance development occurred more slowly and reached a lower level for imipenem/relebactam than for ceftolozane/tazobactam in all tested XDR strains. Moreover, resistance development to imipenem/relebactam remained low even for ST175 isolates that had developed ceftolozane/tazobactam resistance during therapy. Lineages evolved in the presence of ceftolozane/tazobactam showed high-level resistance, imipenem/relebactam hypersusceptibility and low fitness cost, whereas lineages evolved in the presence of imipenem/relebactam showed moderate (borderline) resistance, no cross-resistance to ceftolozane/tazobactam and high fitness cost. WGS evidenced that ceftolozane/tazobactam resistance was mainly caused by mutations in the catalytic centres of intrinsic (AmpC) or acquired (OXA) β-lactamases, whereas lineages evolved in imipenem/relebactam frequently showed structural mutations in MexB or in ParS, along with some strain-specific mutations. Conclusions Imipenem/relebactam could be a useful alternative for the treatment of XDR P. aeruginosa infections, potentially reducing resistance development during therapy.

RESUMEN Introducción: Las miopatías inflamatorias idiopáticas (MII) constituyen un grupo heterogéneo de enfermedades que comprometen la musculatura esquelética y se manifiestan por debilidad y signos inflamatorios en la biopsia muscular. El objetivo de este estudio es hacer una caracterización epidemiológica de una cohorte de pacientes con MII en una población del suroccidente colombiano. Metodología: De forma retrospectiva, se revisaron las historias clínicas de pacientes con diagnóstico de MII que fueron tratados en un hospital de cuarto nivel de complejidad en Cali, Colombia, entre el 2011 y el 2017. Se recolectaron variables demográficas, clínicas, serológicas y de tratamiento. Resultados: Se identificaron 72 pacientes con MII, mayoritariamente mujeres (n = 54, 75%). La media de edad al inicio de los síntomas fue de 37,11 ± 19,18 años. Las principales MII fueron dermatomiositis (DM) y polimiositis, las cuales se presentaron en 35 (48,6%) y 25 pacientes (34,7%), respectivamente. Veintiocho pacientes (38,8%) presentaban enfermedad autoinmune asociada, siendo el lupus eritematoso sistémico la más frecuente, al presentarse en7 (9,72%) pacientes. La biopsia de músculo se realizó en 25 pacientes (34,7%), mientras que28 (38,8%) tenían anticuerpos antinucleares positivos. La mediana de la creatinfosfoquinasa fue de 877,5 mg/dL (163,5-4.358,3). Sesenta y siete pacientes (93,1%) fueron tratados con glucocorticoides y 18 (25%) con rituximab (RTX) como monoterapia o combinado con otro fármaco inmunosupresor. Conclusiones: La DM es la condición clínica más frecuente, es común en mujeres y se presenta en la cuarta década de vida. Los tratamientos con los que más se obtuvo mejoría clínica fueron los glucocorticoides, seguidos del RTX en monoterapia o combinado con otros inmunosupresores. ABSTRACT Background: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterised by skeletal muscle involvement, manifested by weakness and inflammatory signs in the muscle biopsy. The objective of this article is to describe the clinical, laboratory, and treatment features of a cohort of patients with IIM in southwest Colombia. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on the medical records of patients diagnosed with IIM treated at a fourth-level complexity hospital in Cali, Colombia, from 2011 to 2017. Demographic, clinical, serological, and treatment data were collected. Results: A total of 72 patients with IIM were identified, mostly women (n = 54,75%). The mean age at onset of symptoms was 37.11 ± 19.18 years. The main subtypes of IIM were dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis, occurring in 35 patients (48.6%) and 25 patients (34.7%), respectively. Twenty-eight patients (38.8%) had associated autoimmune disease, with syste mic lupus erythematosus being the most frequent in 7 (9.72%) patients. Muscle biopsy was performed in 25 patients (34.7%), while 28 (38.8%) had positive antinuclear antibodies. The median creatine phosphokinase was 877.5 mg/dL (163.5-4358.3). Sixty-seven patients (93.1%) were treated with glucocorticoids, and 18 (25%) patients were treated with rituximab (RTX) as monotherapy or combined with another immunosuppressant drug. Conclusions: DM is the most frequent subtype of IIM, being common in women and occurring in the fourth decade of life. The most used treatments were glucocorticoids, followed by RTX monotherapy, or combined with other immunosuppressants.

Background Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterised by skeletal muscle involvement, manifested by weakness and inflammatory signs in the muscle biopsy. The objective of this article is to describe the clinical, laboratory, and treatment features of a cohort of patients with IIM in southwest Colombia. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on the medical records of patients diagnosed with IIM treated at a fourth-level complexity hospital in Cali, Colombia, from 2011 to 2017. Demographic, clinical, serological, and treatment data were collected. Results A total of 72 patients with IIM were identified, mostly women (n = 54, 75%). The mean age at onset of symptoms was 37.11 ± 19.18 years. The main subtypes of IIM were dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis, occurring in 35 patients (48.6%) and 25 patients (34.7%), respectively. Twenty-eight patients (38.8%) had associated autoimmune disease, with systemic lupus erythematosus being the most frequent in 7 (9.72%) patients. Muscle biopsy was performed in 25 patients (34.7%), while 28 (38.8%) had positive antinuclear antibodies. The median creatine phosphokinase was 877.5 mg/dL (163.5–4358.3). Sixty-seven patients (93.1%) were treated with glucocorticoids, and 18 (25%) patients were treated with rituximab (RTX) as monotherapy or combined with another immunosuppressant drug. Conclusions DM is the most frequent subtype of IIM, being common in women and occurring in the fourth decade of life. The most used treatments were glucocorticoids, followed by RTX monotherapy, or combined with other immunosuppressants.

Objectives To determine the susceptibility profiles and the resistome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from European ICUs during a prospective cohort study (ASPIRE-ICU). Methods 723 isolates from respiratory samples or perianal swabs of 402 patients from 29 sites in 11 countries were studied. MICs of 12 antibiotics were determined by broth microdilution. Horizontally acquired β-lactamases were analysed through phenotypic and genetic assays. The first respiratory isolates from 105 patients providing such samples were analysed through WGS, including the analysis of the resistome and a previously defined genotypic resistance score. Spontaneous mutant frequencies and the genetic basis of hypermutation were assessed. Results All agents except colistin showed resistance rates above 20%, including ceftolozane/tazobactam and ceftazidime/avibactam. 24.9% of the isolates were XDR, with a wide intercountry variation (0%–62.5%). 13.2% of the isolates were classified as DTR (difficult-to-treat resistance). 21.4% of the isolates produced ESBLs (mostly PER-1) or carbapenemases (mostly NDM-1, VIM-1/2 and GES-5). WGS showed that these determinants were linked to high-risk clones (particularly ST235 and ST654). WGS revealed a wide repertoire of mutation-driven resistance mechanisms, with multiple lineage-specific mutations. The most frequently mutated genes were gyrA, parC, oprD, mexZ, nalD and parS, but only two of the isolates were hypermutable. Finally, a good accuracy of the genotypic score to predict susceptibility (91%–100%) and resistance (94%–100%) was documented. Conclusions An overall high prevalence of resistance is documented European ICUs, but with a wide intercountry variability determined by the dissemination of XDR high-risk clones, arguing for the need to reinforce infection control measures.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the correlation of O-antigen serotypes with resistance profiles and high-risk clones in a Spanish nationwide survey.MethodsUp to 30 consecutive healthcare-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were collected during October 2017 from each of 51 hospitals (covering all Spanish regions) with a total of 1445 isolates studied. MICs of 13 antipseudomonal agents and MDR/XDR profiles had been previously determined, as well as whole-genome sequences of 185 representative XDR isolates. O-antigen serotypes (O1–O16) were determined by agglutination using serotype-specific antisera (BioRad). The Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotyper (PAst) program was used for in silico serotyping.ResultsThe most frequent serotypes were O6 (17.8%), O1 (15.4%) and O11 (13.3%). In contrast, the most frequent serotype among XDR isolates (17.3%) was O4 (34.1%), distantly followed by O11 (15.9%). Within serotypes, XDR phenotypes were more frequent for O12 (60.0%) and O4 (57.3%). The most frequent clone among the XDR isolates was ST175 (40.9%), followed by CC235 (10.7%), ST308 (5.2%) and CC111 (3.6%). Up to 81.6% of XDR ST175 isolates typed O4, whereas 18.4% were non-typeable. O4 genotype was detected in all sequenced (n=55) ST175 isolates. On the other hand, CC235 and ST308 were associated with O11, whereas CC111 was linked to serotype O12.ConclusionsO4 serotype is linked to the MDR/XDR profile of widespread ST175 (typically only susceptible to colistin, amikacin and the novel combinations ceftolozane/tazobactam and ceftazidime/avibactam) and therefore, after local validation, its detection in the microbiology laboratory might be useful for guiding semi-empirical antipseudomonal therapies and infection control measures in Spanish hospitals.

Background Searching for new strategies to defeat Pseudomonas aeruginosa is of paramount importance. Previous works in vitro showed that peptidoglycan recycling blockade disables AmpC-dependent resistance and enhances susceptibility against cell-wall–targeting immunity. Our objective was to validate these findings in murine models. This study shows for the first time in different murine models of infection that blocking the peptidoglycan recycling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes an important virulence impairment and disables AmpC-mediated resistance, being hence validated as a promising therapeutic target. Methods Wildtype PAO1, recycling-defective AmpG and NagZ mutants, an AmpC hyperproducer dacB mutant, and their combinations were used to cause systemic/respiratory infections in mice. Their survival, bacterial burden, inflammation level, and effectiveness of ceftazidime or subtherapeutic colistin to treat the infections were assessed. Results Inactivation of AmpG or NagZ significantly attenuated the virulence in terms of mice mortality, bacterial load, and inflammation. When inactivating these genes in the dacB-defective background, the β-lactam resistance phenotype was abolished, disabling the emergence of ceftazidime-resistant mutants, and restoring ceftazidime for treatment. Subtherapeutic colistin was shown to efficiently clear the infection caused by the recycling-defective strains, likely due to the combined effect with the mice cell-wall– targeting immunity. Conclusions This study brings us one step closer to new therapies intended to disable P. aeruginosa AmpC-mediated resistance and dampen its virulence, and strongly support the interest in developing efficient AmpG and/or NagZ inhibitors.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Parasitic Diseases from Wild Animals with Emphasis in Zoonotic Infections., L3 larvae of anisakid nematodes are an important problem for the fisheries industry and pose a potential risk for human health by acting as infectious agents causing allergies and as potential vectors of pathogens and microrganisms. In spite of the close bacteria–nematode relationship very little is known of the anisakids microbiota. Fresh fish could be contaminated by bacteria vectored in the cuticle or in the intestine of anisakids when the L3 larvae migrate through the muscles. As a consequence, the bacterial inoculum will be spread, with potential effects on the quality of the fish, and possible clinical effects cannot be discarded. A total of 2,689,113 16S rRNA gene sequences from a total of 113 L3 individuals obtained from fish captured along the FAO 27 fishing area were studied. Bacteria were taxonomically characterized through 1803 representative operational taxonomic units (OTUs) sequences. Fourteen phyla, 31 classes, 52 orders, 129 families and 187 genera were unambiguously identified. We have found as part of microbiome an average of 123 OTUs per L3 individual. Diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson) indicate an extraordinary diversity of bacteria at an OTU level. There are clusters of anisakids individuals (samples) defined by the associated bacteria which, however, are not significantly related to fish hosts or anisakid taxa. This suggests that association or relationship among bacteria in anisakids, exists without the influence of fishes or nematodes. The lack of relationships with hosts of anisakids taxa has to be expressed by the association among bacterial OTUs or other taxonomical levels which range from OTUs to the phylum level. There are significant biological structural associations of microbiota in anisakid nematodes which manifest in clusters of bacteria ranging from phylum to genus level, which could also be an indicator of fish contamination or the geographic zone of fish capture. Actinobacteria, Aquificae, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria are the phyla whose abundance value discriminate for defining such structures., This work was supported by funds of the Laboratory of Nematology from the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (from CSIC) and partially by Spanish National project AGL2015-68248-C2-1-R.

Introduction/objectives Rituximab (RTX) is a treatment for refractory inflammatory myopathies, such as dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM). This study describes the characteristics of patients receiving RTX for myositis in our institution to evaluate its efficacy. Method We collected demographic data from all patients diagnosed with DM or PM who received RTX between 2011 and 2018. Clinical and serological variables (including creatine phosphokinase [CPK] levels) were analyzed. Remission of disease was defined as no evidence of disease activity (active myositis) for longer than a 6-month continuous period while undergoing myositis therapy or no medication. Results Eighteen patients who had received first-line immunosuppressants were included. Fifteen (83%) had DM, 2 (11%) had PM, 1 had juvenile dermatomyositis, and 14 (77%) were women. All patients received glucocorticoids. Three patients (16.6%) were treated with RTX as monotherapy, and 15 (83.3%) were treated with RTX combined with other immunosuppressants. On average, there were 2 RTX treatment cycles. Improved muscular weakness was found in 13 cases (72%), and improved serum CPK levels were found in 15 cases (83%). Twelve patients (66%) achieved remission. Conclusions Most patients experienced an objective improvement, as reflected in their serum CPK values and degree of muscular weakness. This suggests that RTX could be helpful in treating refractory myositis.

Background: L3 larvae of anisakid nematodes are an important problem for the fisheries industry and pose a potential risk for human health by acting as agents causing allergies and as potential vectors of pathogens microrganisms. In spite of the close bacteria-nematode relationship very little is known of the Anisakids microbiote. Fresh fish could be contaminated by bacteria vectored in the cuticle or in the intestine of Anisakids when the L3 larvae migrate through the muscles. As a consequence the bacterial inoculum will be spread, affecting the quality of the fish, and possible clinical effects cannot be discardedResults: A total of 2,689,113 16S rRNA gene sequences from a total of 113 L3 individuals obtained from fish captured along the FAO 27 area were studied. Bacteria were taxonomically characterized through 1803 representative OTUsequences. Fourteen Phyla, 31 Classes, 52 Orders, 129 Families and 187 genera were unambiguously identified. We have found as part of microbiome an average of 123 OTUs per L3 individual. Diversity Indices (Shannon and Simpson indices) indicate an extraordinary diversity of bacteria at a OTU level. There are clusters of Anisakids individuals (samples) defined by the associated bacteria which however are not significantly related with fish hosts or anisakid taxa. This suggests that association or relationship among bacteria in Anisakids, exists without the influence of fishes or nematodes. The lack of relationships with hosts of Anisakids taxa has to be necessarily expresssed by the association among bacterial OTUs or other taxonomical levels which are ranging from OTUs to phylum level. Conclusions: There are significant biological structural associations of microbiota in anisakid nematodes which manifest in clusters of bacteria ranging from plyllum to genus level which could also be anindicator of degree of fish contamination or from the geographic zone of fish capture. Actinobacteria, Aquificae, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria are the phyla whose abundance value discriminate for difining such structures.

The aim was to develop and validate a Pseudomonas aeruginosa genotypic resistance score, based on analysis of the whole genome sequence resistome, to predict antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes.A scoring system based on the analysis of mutation-driven resistance in 40 chromosomal genes and horizontally acquired resistance (Resfinder) was developed for ceftazidime, ceftolozane/tazobactam, meropenem, ciprofloxacin and tobramycin. Resistance genes/mutations were scored from 0 (no effect) to 1 (EUCAST clinical resistance). One hundred wild-type strains obtained from 51 different hospitals during a 2017 multicentre study were fully sequenced and analysed in order to define a catalogue of natural polymorphisms in the 40 chromosomal resistance genes. The capacity of genotypic score to predict the susceptibility phenotype was tested in 204 isolates randomly selected from the 51 hospitals (four from each hospital).The analysis of the 100 wild-type isolates yielded a catalogue of 455 natural polymorphisms in the 40 genes involved in mutational resistance. However, resistance mutations and high-risk clones (such as ST235) were also documented among a few wild-type isolates. Overall, the capacity of the genotypic score (0.5) for predicting phenotypic susceptibility (S + I in the case of meropenem) was very high (95-100%). In contrast, the capacity of the genotypic score to predict resistance (≥1) was far more variable depending on the agent. Prediction of meropenem clinical resistance was particularly low (18/39, 46.1%), whereas it classified clinical ceftolozane/tazobactam resistance in 100% (7/7) of cases.Although a margin for improvement was evidenced in this proof of concept study, an overall good correlation between the genotypic resistance score and the susceptibility profile was documented. Further refining of the scoring system, automatization and testing of large international cohorts should follow.

Variation in the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important pathogen, can have dramatic impacts on the bacterium's ability to cause disease. We therefore asked whether it was possible to predict the virulence of P. aeruginosa isolates based on their genomic content. We applied a machine learning approach to a genetically and phenotypically diverse collection of 115 clinical P. aeruginosa isolates using genomic information and corresponding virulence phenotypes in a mouse model of bacteremia. We defined the accessory genome of these isolates through the presence or absence of accessory genomic elements (AGEs), sequences present in some strains but not others. Machine learning models trained using AGEs were predictive of virulence, with a mean nested cross-validation accuracy of 75% using the random forest algorithm. However, individual AGEs did not have a large influence on the algorithm's performance, suggesting instead that virulence predictions are derived from a diffuse genomic signature. These results were validated with an independent test set of 25 P. aeruginosa isolates whose virulence was predicted with 72% accuracy. Machine learning models trained using core genome single-nucleotide variants and whole-genome k-mers also predicted virulence. Our findings are a proof of concept for the use of bacterial genomes to predict pathogenicity in P. aeruginosa and highlight the potential of this approach for predicting patient outcomes. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a clinically important Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen. P. aeruginosa shows a large degree of genomic heterogeneity both through variation in sequences found throughout the species (core genome) and through the presence or absence of sequences in different isolates (accessory genome). P. aeruginosa isolates also differ markedly in their ability to cause disease. In this study, we used machine learning to predict the virulence level of P. aeruginose isolates in a mouse bacteremia model based on genomic content. We show that both the accessory and core genomes are predictive of virulence. This study provides a machine learning framework to investigate relationships between bacterial genomes and complex phenotypes such as virulence., This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (grants T32 GM008061 and T32 GM008152 [N.B.P.]), by the American Cancer Society (grant MRSG-13-220-01-MPC [E.A.O.]), and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grants R01 AI118257, R21 129167, K24 AI104831, and U19 AI135964 [A.R.H.]). J.J.D. and M.N. are supported by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Friend or Foe program iSENTRY award (contract HR0011937807 [J.J.D.]) and by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center award (contract 75N93019C00076 [principal investigator Rick Stevens]). A.O. is supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdireccion General de Redes y Centros de Investigacion Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/0016/0004), cofinanced by the European Development Regional Fund A way to achieve Europe and operative program Intelligent Growth 2014-2020.; This research was supported in part through the computational resources and staff contributions provided by the Genomics Compute Cluster, which is jointly supported by the Feinberg School of Medicine, the Center for Genetic Medicine, and Feinberg's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, the Office of the Provost, the Office for Research, and Northwestern Information Technology. The Genomics Compute Cluster is part of Quest, Northwestern University's high-performance computing facility, with the purpose of advancing research in genomics. We acknowledge the University of Maryland School of Medicine Institute for Genome Sciences for performance of PacBio whole-genome sequencing.

Introduction Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes severe infections, particularly in healthcare settings and immunocompromised patients in whom MDR and XDR isolates are more prevalent. The aim of this study is to validate a method based on MALDI-TOF spectra analysis for early detection of the ST175 high-risk clone (HRC). Methods The MALDI-TOF spectra of the first 10 P. aeruginosa clinical isolates from each of the 51 participating Spanish hospitals were analyzed (n = 506). Resistance profiles were determined by broth microdilution, and clonal epidemiology was assessed by PFGE analysis and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) in a previous study. Results Among all the isolates, 14.2% were XDR and 26.9% were non-susceptible to meropenem, while rates of resistance to ceftolozane/tazobactam (3.6%) and colistin (5.7%) were low. Up to 41.7% of all XDR isolates belonged to the ST175 clone, and most of them were only susceptible to ceftolozane/tazobactam and colistin. However, most of the resistance to ceftolozane/tazobactam among isolates belonging to this HRC was observed in carbapenemase-producing isolates. A model based on the presence of two MALDI-TOF biomarker peaks at m/z 6911 and 7359 yielded a negative predictive value (NPV) and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 99.8% and 91.9%, respectively, and sensitivity and specificity values of 97.1% and 99.4%, respectively. Conclusions MALDI-TOF spectra analysis using a model based on the presence of two biomarker peaks proved to maintain high sensitivity and specificity for early detection of the ST175 HRC in a large collection of isolates from all Spanish regions. These data support the use of this model in a clinical setting; however, the consequences of detection of the ST175 HRC, such as choice of empirical antibiotic therapy, must be consistent with local epidemiology and the prevalence of certain resistance patterns of this HRC, such as carbapenemase production, in a given geographical area.

Imipenem and imipenem-relebactam MICs were determined for 1,445 Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates and a large panel of isogenic mutants showing the most relevant mutation-driven β-lactam resistance mechanisms. Imipenem-relebactam showed the highest susceptibility rate (97.3%), followed by colistin and ceftolozane-tazobactam (both 94.6%). Imipenem-relebactam MICs remained ≤2 μg/ml in all 16 isogenic PAO1 mutants and in 8 pairs of extensively drug-resistant clinical strains that had developed resistance to ceftolozane-tazobactam and ceftazidime-avibactam due to mutations in OXA-10 or AmpC.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents a major clinical concern. The interplay between antimicrobial resistance and virulence of P. aeruginosa was investigated in in vitro and in vivo studies. Thirty-eight well-characterized (21 MDR and 17 non-MDR) P. aeruginosa strains from patients with bacteraemia were analysed. Resistance phenotype, carbapenemase production, clonal relatedness, type III secretion system genotype, O-antigen serotype, cytotoxicity (ability to lyse cells) on A549 cells, and virulence (lethality in nematodes) in a Caenorhabditis elegans model were investigated. MDR strains showed lower cytotoxicity (35.4 ± 21.30% vs. 45.0 ± 18.78 %; P = 0.044) and virulence (66.7% vs. 100%; P = 0.011) than non-MDR strains. However, the pathogenicity of MDR high-risk clones varied broadly, with ST235 and ST175 clones being the most and least cytotoxic (51.8 ± 10.59% vs. 11.0 ± 1.25%; P < 0.0001) and virulent ([100% vs. 73.1; P = 0.075] and [0% vs. 93.9%; P < 0.0001], respectively). The pathogenicity of the ST235 clone was similar to that of non-MDR strains, and its ability to lyse cells and high virulence were related with the exoU-positive genotype. Furthermore, the O11 serotype was more frequent among the ST235 clone and exoU-positive genotype strains and was also essential for the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa. Our data suggest that the pathogenicity of MDR high-risk clones is the result not only of the resistance phenotype but also of the virulence genotype. These findings have implications for the clinical management of patients and infection control programmes.

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ceftolozane-tazobactam in combination with meropenem against an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa high-risk clone, sequence type 175, isolated in a Spanish university hospital. A 14-day hollow-fiber infection model was used to simulate clinical exposure of the two drug regimens alone and in combination, and serial samples were collected to determine drug concentrations and CFU counts. The untreated control failed, as did each study regimen when administered alone. However, when ceftolozane-tazobactam was administered in combination with meropenem, there was a >4-log 10 CFU/ml bacterial density reduction and suppression of resistance for the duration of the study. These data suggest that ceftolozane-tazobactam plus meropenem may be a useful combination for treating XDR P. aeruginosa .

Background While resistance related to the expression of β-lactamases, such as AmpC from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, has been deeply studied, this work addresses the gap in the knowledge of other potential bacterial strategies to overcome the activity of β-lactams when β-lactamases are not expressed. Methods We analysed β-lactam resistance evolution trajectories in a WT strain and in isogenic mutants either lacking AmpC (AmpC mutant) or unable to express it (AmpG mutant), exposed to increasing concentrations of ceftazidime for 7 days in quintuplicate experiments. Characterization of evolved lineages included susceptibility profiles, whole-genome sequences, resistance mechanisms, fitness (competitive growth assays) and virulence (Caenorhabditis elegans model). Results Development of resistance was faster for the WT strain but, after 7 days, all strains reached clinical ceftazidime resistance levels. The main resistance mechanism in the WT strain was ampC overexpression, due to mutations in dacB and ampD or mpl. In contrast, ampC overexpression did not evolve in any of the AmpG lineages. Moreover, sequencing of the ΔAmpC and ΔAmpG evolved lineages revealed alternative resistance mutations (not seen in WT lineages) that included, in all cases, large (50-600 kb) deletions of specific chromosomal regions together with mutations leading to β-lactam target [ftsI (PBP3)] modification and/or the overexpression or structural modification of the efflux pump MexAB-OprM. Finally, evolved lineages from the AmpC and, especially, AmpG mutants showed a reduced fitness and virulence. Conclusions In addition to providing new insights into β-lactam resistance mechanisms and evolution, our findings should be helpful for guiding future strategies to combat P. aeruginosa infections.

This study assessed the molecular epidemiology, resistance mechanisms, and susceptibility profiles of a collection of 150 extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates obtained from a 2015 Spanish multicenter study, with a particular focus on resistome analysis in relation to ceftolozane-tazobactam susceptibility. Broth microdilution MICs revealed that nearly all (>95%) of the isolates were nonsusceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftazidime, cefepime, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem, and ciprofloxacin. Most of them were also resistant to tobramycin (77%), whereas nonsusceptibility rates were lower for ceftolozane-tazobactam (31%), amikacin (7%), and colistin (2%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis–multilocus sequence typing (PFGE-MLST) analysis revealed that nearly all of the isolates belonged to previously described high-risk clones. Sequence type 175 (ST175) was detected in all 9 participating hospitals and accounted for 68% (n = 101) of the XDR isolates, distantly followed by ST244 (n = 16), ST253 (n = 12), ST235 (n = 8), and ST111 (n = 2), which were detected only in 1 to 2 hospitals. Through phenotypic and molecular methods, the presence of horizontally acquired carbapenemases was detected in 21% of the isolates, mostly VIM (17%) and GES enzymes (4%). At least two representative isolates from each clone and hospital (n = 44) were fully sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq. Classical mutational mechanisms, such as those leading to the overexpression of the β-lactamase AmpC or efflux pumps, OprD inactivation, and/or quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) mutations, were confirmed in most isolates and correlated well with the resistance phenotypes in the absence of horizontally acquired determinants. Ceftolozane-tazobactam resistance was not detected in carbapenemase-negative isolates, in agreement with sequencing data showing the absence of ampC mutations. The unique set of mutations responsible for the XDR phenotype of ST175 clone documented 7 years earlier were found to be conserved, denoting the long-term persistence of this specific XDR lineage in Spanish hospitals. Finally, other potentially relevant mutations were evidenced, including those in penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3), which is involved in β-lactam (including ceftolozane-tazobactam) resistance, and FusA1, which is linked to aminoglycoside resistance.

The increasing prevalence of nosocomial infections produced by multidrugresistant (MDR) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa is frequently linked to widespread international strains designated high-risk clones. In this work, we attempted to decipher the interplay between resistance profiles, high-risk clones, and virulence, testing a large (n 140) collection of well-characterized P. aeruginosa isolates from different sources (bloodstream infections, nosocomial outbreaks, cystic fibrosis, and the environment) in a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model. Consistent with previous data, we documented a clear inverse correlation between antimicrobial resistance and virulence in the C. elegans model. Indeed, the lowest virulence was linked to XDR profiles, which were typically linked to defined high-risk clones. However, virulence varied broadly depending on the involved highrisk clone; it was high for sequence type 111 (ST111) and ST235 but very low for ST175. The highest virulence of ST235 could be attributed to its exoU type III secretion system (TTSS) genotype, which was found to be linked with higher virulence in our C. elegans model. Other markers, such as motility or pigment production, were not essential for virulence in the C. elegans model but seemed to be related with the higher values of the statistical normalized data. In contrast to ST235, the ST175 high-risk clone, which is widespread in Spain and France, seems to be associated with a particularly low virulence in the C. elegans model. Moreover, the previously described G154R AmpR mutation, prevalent in ST175, was found to contribute to the reduced virulence, although it was not the only factor involved. Altogether, our results provide a major step forward for understanding the interplay between P. aeruginosa resistance profiles, high-risk clones, and virulence., This work was supported by the Planes Nacionales de IDi 2008-2011/2013-2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD12/0015/0006, RD12/0015/004, RD16/0016/ 0004, RD16/0016/008, and RD16/0016/0011) and grants PI15/00088 and PI12/00734. This work was cofinanced by grants from the European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe” and operative program Intelligent Growth (2014-2020). I.S.-D. is the recipient of a P-FIS fellowship from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad.

OBJECTIVES The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship among the in vivo acquisition of antimicrobial resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates, the underlying molecular mechanisms and previous exposure to antipseudomonal agents. METHODS PFGE was used to study the molecular relatedness of the strains. The MICs of ceftazidime, cefepime, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, meropenem, ciprofloxacin and amikacin were determined. Outer membrane protein profiles were assessed to study OprD expression. RT-PCR was performed to analyse ampC, mexB, mexD, mexF and mexY expression. The presence of mutations was analysed through DNA sequencing. RESULTS We collected 17 clonally related paired isolates [including first positive samples (A) and those with MICs increased ≥4-fold (B)]. Most B isolates with increased MICs of imipenem, meropenem and ceftazidime became resistant to these drugs. The most prevalent resistance mechanisms detected were OprD loss (65%), mexB overexpression (53%), ampC derepression (29%), quinolone target gene mutations (24%) and increased mexY expression (24%). Five (29%) B isolates developed multidrug resistance. Meropenem was the most frequently (71%) received treatment, explaining the high prevalence of oprD mutations and likely mexB overexpression. Previous exposure to ceftazidime showed a higher impact on selection of increased MICs than previous exposure to piperacillin/tazobactam. CONCLUSIONS Stepwise acquisition of resistance has a critical impact on the resistance phenotypes of P. aeruginosa, leading to a complex scenario for finding effective antimicrobial regimens. In the clinical setting, meropenem seems to be the most frequent driver of multidrug resistance development, while piperacillin/tazobactam, in contrast to ceftazidime, seems to be the β-lactam least associated with the selection of resistance mechanisms.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in Spain in 2013 by describing the prevalence, dissemination, and geographic distribution of CPE clones, and their population structure and antibiotic susceptibility. From February 2013 to May 2013, 83 hospitals (about 40,000 hospital beds) prospectively collected nonduplicate Enterobacteriaceae using the screening cutoff recommended by EUCAST. Carbapenemase characterization was performed by phenotypic methods and confirmed by PCR and sequencing. Multilocus sequencing types (MLST) were determined for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli . A total of 702 Enterobacteriaceae isolates met the inclusion criteria; 379 (54%) were CPE. OXA-48 (71.5%) and VIM-1 (25.3%) were the most frequent carbapenemases, and K. pneumoniae (74.4%), Enterobacter cloacae (10.3%), and E. coli (8.4%) were the species most affected. Susceptibility to colistin, amikacin, and meropenem was 95.5%, 81.3%, and 74.7%, respectively. The most prevalent sequence types (STs) were ST11 and ST405 for K. pneumoniae and ST131 for E. coli . Forty-five (54.1%) of the hospitals had at least one CPE case. For K. pneumoniae , ST11/OXA-48, ST15/OXA-48, ST405/OXA-48, and ST11/VIM-1 were detected in two or more Spanish provinces. ST11 isolates carried four carbapenemases (VIM-1, OXA-48, KPC-2, and OXA-245), but ST405 isolates carried OXA-48 only. A wide interregional spread of CPE in Spain was observed, mainly due to a few successful clones of OXA-48-producing K. pneumoniae (e.g., ST11 and ST405). The dissemination of OXA-48-producing E. coli is a new finding of public health concern. According to the susceptibilities determined in vitro , most of the CPE (94.5%) had three or more options for antibiotic treatment.

This study assessed the molecular epidemiology, resistance mechanisms, and susceptibility profiles of a collection of 150 extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates obtained from a 2015 Spanish multicenter study, with a particular focus on resistome analysis in relation to ceftolozane-tazobactam susceptibility. Broth microdilution MICs revealed that nearly all (>95%) of the isolates were nonsusceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftazidime, cefepime, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem, and ciprofloxacin. Most of them were also resistant to tobramycin (77%), whereas nonsusceptibility rates were lower for ceftolozane-tazobactam (31%), amikacin (7%), and colistin (2%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis–multilocus sequence typing (PFGE-MLST) analysis revealed that nearly all of the isolates belonged to previously described high-risk clones. Sequence type 175 (ST175) was detected in all 9 participating hospitals and accounted for 68% ( n = 101) of the XDR isolates, distantly followed by ST244 ( n = 16), ST253 ( n = 12), ST235 ( n = 8), and ST111 ( n = 2), which were detected only in 1 to 2 hospitals. Through phenotypic and molecular methods, the presence of horizontally acquired carbapenemases was detected in 21% of the isolates, mostly VIM (17%) and GES enzymes (4%). At least two representative isolates from each clone and hospital ( n = 44) were fully sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq. Classical mutational mechanisms, such as those leading to the overexpression of the β-lactamase AmpC or efflux pumps, OprD inactivation, and/or quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) mutations, were confirmed in most isolates and correlated well with the resistance phenotypes in the absence of horizontally acquired determinants. Ceftolozane-tazobactam resistance was not detected in carbapenemase-negative isolates, in agreement with sequencing data showing the absence of ampC mutations. The unique set of mutations responsible for the XDR phenotype of ST175 clone documented 7 years earlier were found to be conserved, denoting the long-term persistence of this specific XDR lineage in Spanish hospitals. Finally, other potentially relevant mutations were evidenced, including those in penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3), which is involved in β-lactam (including ceftolozane-tazobactam) resistance, and FusA1, which is linked to aminoglycoside resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance is a continuously increasing threat that severely compromises our antibiotic arsenal and causes thousands of deaths due to hospital-acquired infections by pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, situation further aggravated by the limited development of new antibiotics. Thus, alternative strategies such as those targeting bacterial resistance mechanisms, virulence or potentiating the activity of our immune system resources are urgently needed. We have recently shown that mutations simultaneously causing the peptidoglycan recycling blockage and the β-lactamase AmpC overexpression impair the virulence of P.aeruginosa. These findings suggested that peptidoglycan metabolism might be a good target not only for fighting antibiotic resistance, but also for the attenuation of virulence and/or potentiation of our innate immune weapons. Here we analyzed the activity of the innate immune elements peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) and lysozyme against P. aeruginosa. We show that while lysozyme and PGRPs have a very modest basal effect over P. aeruginosa, their bactericidal activity is dramatically increased in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of the permeabilizing agent colistin. We also show that the P. aeruginosa lysozyme inhibitors seem to play a very residual protective role even in permeabilizing conditions. In contrast, we demonstrate that, once the permeability barrier is overpassed, the activity of lysozyme and PGRPs is dramatically enhanced when inhibiting key peptidoglycan recycling components (such as the 3 AmpDs, AmpG or NagZ), indicating a decisive protective role for cell-wall recycling and that direct peptidoglycan-binding supports, at least partially, the activity of these enzymes. Finally, we show that recycling blockade when occurring simultaneously with AmpC overexpression determines a further decrease in the resistance against PGRP2 and lysozyme, linked to quantitative changes in the cell-wall. Thus, our results help to delineate new strategies against P. aeruginosa infections, simultaneously targeting β±lactam resistance, cell-wall metabolism and virulence, ultimately enhancing the activity of our innate immune weapons, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain and Instituto de Salud Carlos III co-financed by European Regional Development Fund

During a Spanish surveillance study, a natural variant of a CMY-type β-lactamase related to CMY-2 with a GluLeu

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous versatile environmental microorganism with a remarkable ability to grow under diverse environmental conditions. Moreover, P. aeruginosa is responsible for life-threatening infections in immunocompromised and cystic fibrosis patients, as the extraordinary capacity of this pathogen to develop antimicrobial resistance dramatically limits our therapeutic arsenal. Its large genome carries an outstanding number of genes belonging to regulatory systems, including multiple two-component sensor-regulator systems that modulate the response to the different environmental stimuli. Here, we show that one of two systems, designated CreBC (carbon source responsive) and BlrAB (β-lactam resistance), might be of particular relevance. We first identified the stimuli triggering the activation of the CreBC system, which specifically responds to penicillin-binding protein 4 (PBP4) inhibition by certain β-lactam antibiotics. Second, through an analysis of a large comprehensive collection of mutants, we demonstrate an intricate interconnection between the CreBC system, the peptidoglycan recycling pathway, and the expression of the concerning chromosomal β-lactamase AmpC. Third, we show that the CreBC system, and particularly its effector inner membrane protein CreD, plays a major role in bacterial fitness and biofilm development, especially in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of β-lactams. Finally, global transcriptomics reveals broad regulatory functions of CreBC in basic physiological aspects, particularly anaerobic respiration, in both the presence and absence of antibiotics. Therefore, the CreBC system is envisaged as a potentially interesting target for improving the efficacy of β-lactams against P. aeruginosa infections.

A panel of 29 multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates recovered from seven hospitals as part of a country-wide surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Bulgarian hospitals was studied. Molecular typing through multiple-locus variable number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA6) yielded 23 different profiles. Phenotypic and genotypic tests for the detection of acquired carbapenemases yielded negative results in all cases. In contrast, 76% of the isolates produced other acquired β-lactamases, including extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). Namely, 6 of the isolates (21%) produced a VEB-1 ESBL; 14 (48%) produced an OXA-10-type enzyme (7 OXA-10 and 7 OXA-10 ESBL variants, including 2 OXA-17 [A218G], 2 OXA-74 [C197T, A218G], and 3 OXA-142 [A218G, G470A]); 8 (28%) an OXA-2-type enzyme (all OXA-2); and 1 (3%) a PSE-1 carbenicillinase. Further analysis through multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed that the six VEB-1-producing strains, recovered from four hospitals, belonged to ST111 or ST244 international high-risk clones. Additionally, nearly all of the isolates (97%) lacked OprD production, explaining carbapenem resistance. Overexpression of AmpC was documented in 5 (17%) of the isolates, including most of the MDR isolates not producing any acquired β-lactamase. Particularly noteworthy was the very high prevalence of MexXY-OprM overexpression, documented in 72% of the isolates, whereas the prevalence of MexAB-OprM overexpression was lower (21%). In summary, while the production of metallo-β-lactamases is uncommon among P. aeruginosa isolates from Bulgarian hospitals, MDR profiles frequently result from the production of ESBLs combined with the lack of production of the carbapenem porin OprD and the overexpression of the MexXY-OprM efflux pump.

The activity of ceftazidime-avibactam was compared with that of ceftazidime alone and meropenem against a collection of 190 Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates recovered from a multicenter study of bloodstream infections. The addition of avibactam increased ceftazidime susceptibility in the complete collection of strains (64.7% to 91.1%) and particularly among subsets of isolates showing AmpC hyperproduction (10.9% to 76.1%) or multidrug resistance (MDR) profiles (27% to 77.8%). The MICs of ceftazidime-avibactam, in contrast with those of ceftazidime or meropenem, remained at ≤4 μg/ml for a panel of 16 P. aeruginosa PAO1 isogenic mutants expressing multiple combinations of the most relevant β-lactam resistance mechanisms.

Objectives To evaluate the interconnection between peptidoglycan (PG) recycling, fosfomycin susceptibility and synergy between fosfomycin and β-lactams in Pseudomonas aeruginosa METHODS: Fosfomycin MICs were determined by broth microdilution and Etest for a panel of 47 PAO1 mutants defective in several components of PG recycling and/or AmpC induction pathways. PAO1 fosfomycin MICs were also determined in the presence of a 5 mM concentration of the NagZ inhibitor PUGNAc. Population analysis of fosfomycin susceptibility and characterization of the resistant mutants that emerged was also performed for selected strains. Finally, fosfomycin, imipenem and fosfomycin + imipenem killing curves were assessed. Results Mutants defective in AmpG, NagZ or all three AmpD amidases showed a marked increase in fosfomycin susceptibility (at least two 2-fold dilutions with respect to WT PAO1). Moreover, PAO1 fosfomycin MICs were consistently reduced from 48 to 24 mg/L in the presence of a 5 mM concentration of PUGNAc. Fosfomycin hypersusceptibility of the ampG, nagZ and triple ampD mutants was also clearly confirmed in the performed population analysis, although the emergence of resistant mutants, through GlpT mutations, was not avoided. Synergy between fosfomycin and imipenem was evidenced for the WT strain, the AmpC-hyperproducing strain (triple AmpD mutant) and the NagZ and AmpG mutants in killing curves. Moreover, regrowth of resistant mutants was not evidenced for the combination. Conclusions PG recycling inhibitors are envisaged as useful adjuvants in the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections with β-lactams and fosfomycin and therefore further development of these molecules is encouraged.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used for the characterization of the frequently extensively drug resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa sequence type 175 (ST175) high-risk clone. A total of 18 ST175 isolates recovered from 8 different Spanish hospitals were analyzed; 4 isolates from 4 different French hospitals were included for comparison. The typical resistance profile of ST175 included penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactams, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones. In the phylogenetic analysis, the four French isolates clustered together with two isolates from one of the Spanish regions. Sequence variation was analyzed for 146 chromosomal genes related to antimicrobial resistance, and horizontally acquired genes were explored using online databases. The resistome of ST175 was determined mainly by mutational events; resistance traits common to all or nearly all of the strains included specific ampR mutations leading to ampC overexpression, specific mutations in oprD conferring carbapenem resistance, or a mexZ mutation leading to MexXY overexpression. All isolates additionally harbored an aadB gene conferring gentamicin and tobramycin resistance. Several other resistance traits were specific to certain geographic areas, such as a streptomycin resistance gene, aadA13 , detected in all four isolates from France and in the two isolates from the Cantabria region and a glpT mutation conferring fosfomycin resistance, detected in all but these six isolates. Finally, several unique resistance mutations were detected in single isolates; particularly interesting were those in genes encoding penicillin-binding proteins (PBP1A, PBP3, and PBP4). Thus, these results provide information valuable for understanding the genetic basis of resistance and the dynamics of the dissemination and evolution of high-risk clones.

Objectives β-Lactams are commonly used for nosocomial infections and resistance to these agents among Gram-negative bacteria is increasing rapidly. Optimized dosing is expected to reduce the likelihood of resistance development during antimicrobial therapy, but the target for clinical dose adjustment is not well established. We examined the likelihood that various dosing exposures would suppress resistance development in an in vitro hollow-fibre infection model. Methods Two strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (baseline inocula of ∼10 8 cfu/mL) were examined. Various dosing exposures of cefepime, ceftazidime and meropenem were simulated in the hollow-fibre infection model. Serial samples were obtained to ascertain the pharmacokinetic simulations and viable bacterial burden for up to 120 h. Drug concentrations were determined by a validated LC-MS/MS assay and the simulated exposures were expressed as C min /MIC ratios. Resistance development was detected by quantitative culture on drug-supplemented media plates (at 3× the corresponding baseline MIC). The C min /MIC breakpoint threshold to prevent bacterial regrowth was identified by classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. Results For all strains, the bacterial burden declined initially with the simulated exposures, but regrowth was observed in 9 out of 31 experiments. CART analysis revealed that a C min /MIC ratio ≥3.8 was significantly associated with regrowth prevention (100% versus 44%, P = 0.001). Conclusions The development of β-lactam resistance during therapy could be suppressed by an optimized dosing exposure. Validation of the proposed target in a well-designed clinical study is warranted.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major cause of nosocomial and chronic infections, is considered a paradigm of antimicrobial resistance development. However, the evolutionary trajectories of antimicrobial resistance and the impact of mutator phenotypes remain mostly unexplored. Therefore, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed in lineages of wild-type and mutator (ΔmutS) strains exposed to increasing concentrations of relevant antipseudomonal agents. WGS provided a privileged perspective of the dramatic effect of mutator phenotypes on the accumulation of random mutations, most of which were transitions, as expected. Moreover, a frameshift mutagenic signature, consistent with error-prone DNA polymerase activity as a consequence of SOS system induction, was also seen. This effect was evidenced for all antibiotics tested, but it was higher for fluoroquinolones than for cephalosporins or carbapenems. Analysis of genotype versus phenotype confirmed expected resistance evolution trajectories but also revealed new pathways. Classical mechanisms included multiple mutations leading to AmpC overexpression (ceftazidime), quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) mutations (ciprofloxacin), oprD inactivation (meropenem), and efflux pump overexpression (ciprofloxacin and meropenem). Groundbreaking findings included gain-of-function mutations leading to the structural modification of AmpC (ceftazidime), novel DNA gyrase (GyrA) modification (ciprofloxacin), and the alteration of the β-lactam binding site of penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3) (meropenem). A further striking finding was seen in the evolution of meropenem resistance, selecting for specific extremely large (>250 kb) genomic deletions providing a growth advantage in the presence of the antibiotic. Finally, fitness and virulence varied within and across evolved antibiotic-resistant populations, but mutator lineages showed a lower biological cost for some antibiotics.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of plasmid-mediated AmpC (pAmpC) and carbapenemases in Enterobacteriaceae collected from 35 hospitals in Spain and to establish their epidemiological relationships. We conducted a prospective multi-centre study on pAmpC- or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates from clinical samples collected from February to July 2009. The strains suspected to carry pAmpC were resistant or showed intermediate susceptibility to co-amoxiclav and second- or third-generation cephalosporins. Strains suspected to carry a carbapenemase were selected because they showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to imipenem >1 mg/L. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a sequencing strategy were used to characterise the enzymes. The clonal relationships between isolates was analysed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Among 100,132 Enterobacteriaceae isolates collected, 1,654 were compatible with the production of pAmpC or carbapenemases. We found a prevalence of 0.64 % of pAmpC (n = 635) and 0.04 % of carbapenemases (n = 43). The most prevalent pAmpC enzymes were CMY-type (78.3 %), DHA-type (19.5 %), ACC-type (1.6 %) and FOX-type (0.6 %). The CMY-type was the most frequent in Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis species, whereas the DHA-type was mainly found in Klebsiella spp. The enzymes involved in carbapenem resistance were VIM-1, IMP-22 and the new IMP-28. Nine new bla genes were described: bla CMY-54, bla CMY-55, bla CMY-56, bla CMY-57, bla CMY-96, bla DHA-6, bla DHA-7, bla FOX-8 and bla IMP-28. The prevalence of pAmpC or carbapenemases found is not negligible. The CMY-types were the predominant pAmpC, whereas the VIM or IMP enzymes were the predominant carbapenemases. Furthermore, we observed a great genetic diversity among pAmpC-producing strains and a close clonal relationship between carbapenemase-producing strains.

We investigated the mechanisms leading to Pseudomonas aeruginosa pan-β-lactam resistance (PBLR) development during the treatment of nosocomial infections, with a particular focus on the modification of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) profiles and imipenem, ceftazidime, and ceftolozane (former CXA-101) PBP binding affinities. For this purpose, six clonally related pairs of sequential susceptible-PBLR isolates were studied. The presence of oprD , ampD , and dacB mutations was explored by PCR followed by sequencing and the expression of ampC and efflux pump genes by real-time reverse transcription-PCR. The fluorescent penicillin Bocillin FL was used to determine PBP profiles in membrane preparations from all pairs, and 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 s) of ceftolozane, ceftazidime, and imipenem were analyzed in 3 of them. Although a certain increase was noted (0 to 5 2-fold dilutions), the MICs of ceftolozane were ≤4 μg/ml in all PBLR isolates. All 6 PBLR isolates lacked OprD and overexpressed ampC and one or several efflux pumps, particularly mexB and/or mexY . Additionally, 5 of them showed modified PBP profiles, including a modified pattern ( n = 1) or diminished expression ( n = 1) of PBP1a and a lack of PBP4 expression ( n = 4), which correlated with AmpC overexpression driven by dacB mutation. Analysis of the essential PBP IC 50 s revealed significant variation of PBP1a/b binding affinities, both within each susceptible-PBLR pair and across the different pairs. Moreover, despite the absence of significant differences in gene expression or sequence, a clear tendency toward increased PBP2 (imipenem) and PBP3 (ceftazidime, ceftolozane, imipenem) IC 50 s was noted in PBLR isolates. Thus, our results suggest that in addition to AmpC, efflux pumps, and OprD, the modification of PBP patterns appears to play a role in the in vivo emergence of PBLR strains, which still conserve certain susceptibility to the new antipseudomonal cephalosporin ceftolozane.

A multidrug resistance (MDR) conjugative plasmid of ca. 50 kb (designated pERGB) was detected in a linezolid and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain with sequence type 125 (ST125-MRSA-IVc). This strain was detected in two patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previously treated with multiple antimicrobials, including linezolid. pERGB was transferable by conjugation and carried the resistance genes cfr (oxazolidinones, phenicols, lincosamides, pleuromutilins, and streptogramin A), ant(4 ′ )-Ia (tobramycin), tet (L) (tetracycline), and dfrK (trimethoprim). A novel genetic structure, linking all of these resistance genes for the first time, was elucidated through sequencing of a 15,259-bp fragment from pERGB. Active surveillance to prevent the dissemination of such highly concerning MDR transferable elements is needed.

An isolate of Klebsiella oxytoca carrying a novel IMP metallo-β-lactamase was discovered in Madrid, Spain. The bla IMP-28 gene is part of a chromosomally located class I integron. The IMP-28 k cat / K m values for ampicillin, ceftazidime, and cefepime and, to a lesser extent, imipenem and meropenem, are clearly lower than those of IMP-1. The His306Gln mutation may induce important modifications of the L3 loop and thus of substrate accessibility and hydrolysis and be the main reason for this behavior.

Constitutive AmpC hyperproduction is the most frequent mechanism of resistance to the weak AmpC inducers antipseudomonal penicillins and cephalosporins. Previously, we demonstrated that inhibition of the β- N -acetylglucosaminidase NagZ prevents and reverts this mechanism of resistance, which is caused by ampD and/or dacB (PBP4) mutations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa . In this work, we compared NagZ with a second candidate target, the AmpG permease for GlcNAc-1,6-anhydromuropeptides, for their ability to block AmpC expression pathways. Inactivation of nagZ or ampG fully restored the susceptibility and basal ampC expression of ampD or dacB laboratory mutants and impaired the emergence of one-step ceftazidime-resistant mutants in population analysis experiments. Nevertheless, only ampG inactivation fully blocked ampC induction, reducing the MICs of the potent AmpC inducer imipenem from 2 to 0.38 μg/ml. Moreover, through population analysis and characterization of laboratory mutants, we showed that ampG inactivation minimized the impact on resistance of the carbapenem porin OprD, reducing the MIC of imipenem for a PAO1 OprD mutant from >32 to 0.5 μg/ml. AmpG and NagZ targets were additionally evaluated in three clinical isolates that are pan-β-lactam resistant due to AmpC hyperproduction, OprD inactivation, and overexpression of several efflux pumps. A marked increase in susceptibility to ceftazidime and piperacillin-tazobactam was observed in both cases, while only ampG inactivation fully restored wild-type imipenem susceptibility. Susceptibility to meropenem, cefepime, and aztreonam was also enhanced, although to a lower extent due to the high impact of efflux pumps on the activity of these antibiotics. Thus, our results suggest that development of small-molecule inhibitors of AmpG could provide an excellent strategy to overcome the relevant mechanisms of resistance (OprD inactivation plus AmpC induction) to imipenem, the only currently available β-lactam not significantly affected by P. aeruginosa major efflux pumps.

The prevalence and impact of the overexpression of AmpC and efflux pumps were evaluated with a collection of 190 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates recovered from bloodstream infections in a 2008 multicenter study (10 hospitals) in Spain. The MICs of a panel of 13 antipseudomonal agents were determined by microdilution, and the expressions of ampC , mexB , mexY , mexD , and mexF were determined by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. Up to 39% of the isolates overexpressed at least one of the mechanisms. ampC overexpression (24.2%) was the most prevalent mechanism, followed by mexY (13.2%), mexB (12.6%), mexF (4.2%), and mexD (2.2%). The overexpression of mexB plus mexY , documented for 5.3% of the isolates, was the only combination showing a significantly ( P = 0.02) higher prevalence than expected from the frequencies of the individual mechanisms (1.6%). Additionally, all imipenem-resistant isolates studied (25 representative isolates) showed inactivating mutations in oprD . Most of the isolates nonsusceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam (96%) and ceftazidime (84%) overexpressed ampC , while mexB (25%) and mexY (29%) overexpressions gained relevance among cefepime-nonsusceptible isolates. Nevertheless, the prevalence of mexY overexpression was highest among tobramycin-nonsusceptible isolates (37%), and that of mexB was highest among meropenem-nonsusceptible isolates (33%). Regarding ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates, besides the expected increased prevalence of efflux pump overexpression, a highly significant link to ampC overexpression was documented for the first time: up to 52% of ciprofloxacin-nonsusceptible isolates overexpressed ampC , sharply contrasting with the 24% documented for the complete collection ( P < 0.001). In summary, mutation-driven resistance was frequent in P. aeruginosa isolates from bloodstream infections, whereas metallo-β-lactamases, detected in 2 isolates (1%) producing VIM-2, although with increasing prevalences, were still uncommon.