Establishment and Comparison of Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis,Multiple-locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis and Automated Ribotyping Methods for Subtyping of Citrobacter Strains

Objective To establish and compare the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis （PFGE）, multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis （MLVA） and automated ribotyping for subtyping of Citrobacter strains. Methods PFGE protocol was optimized in terms of plug preparation procedure, restriction enzymes and configuration of electrophoretic parameters. MLVA method was evaluated by finding variable number tandem repeats in two genomes of Citrobacter strains. The ribotyping was performed by using the automated RiboPrinter system. Results We optimized the plug preparation procedure, focused on the cell suspension concentration （turbidity of 2.5 to 3.5）, SDS addition （no SDS needed） and lysis time （1 h）, and selected the appropriate restriction enzyme （Xbal） and the electrophoretic parameters （1.0 s-20.0 s for 19 h） of PFGE. There was nearly no discriminatory power of MLVA between Citrobacter strains. For 51 Citrobacter strains, automated ribotyping gave a D-value of 0.9945, while PFGE gave a D-value of 0.9969. Both PFGE and automated ribotyping clustered strains from the same sources （with the same species from the same place at the same time identified as the same source） and divided strains from different sources （from different years, places and hosts） into different subtypes. Conclusion PFGE protocol established in this paper and automated ribotyping are suitable for application in Citrobacter subtyping.

Optimization of Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis Procedure for Bacillus cereus

In order to develop a rapid and reliable method for B. cereus genotyping, factors influencing PFGE results, including preparation of bacterial cells embedded in agarose, lysis of embedded cells, enzymatic digestion of intact genomic DNA, and electrophoresis parameters allowing for reproducible and meaningful DNA fragment separation, were controlled. Optimal cellular growth （Luria-Bertani agar plates for 12-18 h） and lysis conditions （4 h incubation with 500 μg/mL lysozyme） produced sharp bands on the gel.

Antimicrobial resistance, genotypic characterization and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing of extended spectrum β-lactamases-producing clinical Escherichia coli strains in Macao, China

Background The rise of the production of CTX-M class extended spectrum β-lactamases （ESBLs） has been well documented in traveling countries but no data are found for Macao, an international travel city. The objectives of this study were to identify the antimicrobial resistance pattern, and determine the prevalence, genotype and clonal relationship of ESBLs in 209 clinical Escherichia coli strains from Macao, China. Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed to determine the resistance patterns of the isolates using the disk diffusion method with 17 antimicrobial agents. Phenotypic detection was screened and confirmed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Genotypic characterization was detected by isoelectric focusing analysis, polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. The clonal relationship between the different ESBL isolates was studied by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis （PFGE）. Results Imipenem and meropenem exhibited 100% susceptible among 209 strains. Overall, 82.3%, 67.3%, 52.9%, 51.2% and 51.0% of the isolates displayed resistance to ampicillin, tetracylcline, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole trimethoprin and gentamycin. The prevalence rate of ESBLs was 30.1%. Antibiotic resistances were found to be significantly higher among the ESBL producing group compared to non-ESBL producing group. We detected CTX-M-14 to be the major genotypic characterization of ESBLs （76.2%）. Two strains showed indistinguishable patterns by PFGE. Conclusions The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance is alarming high in Macao. Antimicrobial resistance is significantly higher among the ESBL producing group. This study documented CTX-M-14 as the predominant ESBL type. Although indistinguishable pattern was found between two strains, it was too small to decide whether any of the investigated strains was epidemic. Our findings may be also pertinent for other geographic areas undergoing similar travel characteristics to understand the corresponding effects on bacterial populations.

水稻蛋白质的双向电泳分析技术

在O′Farrell(1975)和Anderson(1978)等人的基础上对双向电泳方法进行改进得到了一种适合于分析水稻种子胚、黄化芽、绿色幼苗及成熟叶斤等不同组织蛋白质的双向电泳方法。用这一方法对15个水稻品种的种子胚、黄化芽、二叶期绿色幼苗及雌雄蕊形成期成熟叶片的蛋白质进行双向电泳分离,经考马斯亮蓝R250染色后,均获得了清晰而稳定的图谱。以200μg左右的蛋白质进行电泳,从上述组织可分辨出的蛋白质(多肽)点分别达到550、500和350个。由此建议在分子水平上研究水稻等禾谷类作物的遗传学、发育生理学以及品种资源鉴定时采用本方法。

重庆某医院重症监护室耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌的分子流行病学

目的了解重庆市某医院重症监护病房耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌的耐药性及分子流行病学特征。方法收集该院2008年9月至2009年6月神经外科ICU和中心ICU 31株非重复金黄色葡萄球菌,PCR方法检测mecA基因,琼脂稀释法测定其对13种抗菌药物的最低抑菌浓度(MIC),多重PCR方法进行SCCmec分型,脉冲场凝胶电泳技术(PFGE)分析亲缘关系。结果 31株金葡菌中,MRSA占83.9%(26/31),其中25株为SCCmecⅢ型,1株未能分型。26株MRSA对头孢吡肟、头孢唑啉、四环素、红霉素、左氧氟沙星、克林霉素均耐药,对利福平、万古霉素、替考拉宁和利奈唑胺均敏感。PFGE分型26株MRSA有4型(A^D),以A型流行株为主。结论重庆市某医院2008年9月至2009年6月神经外科ICU和中心ICU病房MRSA分离率较高,MRSA菌株为多重耐药菌,未发现VISA或VRSA。SCCmec以III型为主,神经外科ICU病房可能有MRSA的流行,需要采取积极措施阻止其进一步播散流行。

Detection and Characterization of β-Lactam Resistance in Haemophilus parasuis Strains from Pigs in South China

To characterize the β-lactam resistance in veterinary clinical isolates of Haemophilus parasuis, 115 isolates were examined for the β-lactam resistance, the possession of β-lactamase, and the presence of β-lactamase genes. The genetic relationship among isolates was evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis （PFGE）. Overall, the commonly detected resistance phenotypes were resistant to ampicillin （26.09%）, penicillin （22.61%）, amoxicillin （21.74%）, cefazolin （14.78%）, cefaclor （12.17%）, and cefotaxime （6.96%）. These strains showed high minimal inhibitory concentration （MICs） to oxacillin. 20.87% strains produced β-lactamase, and 4.35% strains showed extended-spectrum b-lactamase （ESBL） phenotype. Moreover, 19 strains harboured bla genes including TEM-1 （n=5）, TEM-116 （n=10）, and ROB-1 （n=5）. Significantly, one strain possessed both TEM-1 and ROB-1, and displayed resistance to cefotaxime （MIC=8 mg L-1）. The epidemiological analysis of PFGE revealed high genetic diversity among bla-positive isolates. This work shows that TEM- and ROB-type β-lactamases are prevalent in H. parasuis isolates in China.

Molecular Characteristics of Neisseria meningitidis Isolated during an Outbreak in a Jail: Association with the Spread and Distribution of ST-4821 Complex Serogroup C Clone in China

Objective To characterize the meningococcal strains isolated from cases and close contacts with meningococcal disease associated with an outbreak in a jail in May 2010 by investigating the national distribution of hyperinvasive ST-4821 serogroup C clone associated with this outbreak. Methods The cases were described based on the clinical symptoms and laboratory results. Pharyngeal swabs were cultured for N. meningitidis from men in the jail. Meningococcal isolates were identified by serogrouping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis （PFGE） and multilocus sequence typing （MLST）, respectively. Four hundred and sixteen serogroup C N. meningitidis strains were collected from 27 provinces between 2003 and 2010 for a nationwide survey and analyzed by PFGE and MLST. Results Three persons in a jail system were infected with invasive N. meningitidis serogroup C. All isolates tested had matching PFGE patterns and belonged to the multilocus sequence type （ST） 4821 clonal complex. All 47 N. meningitidis strains were identified from the pharyngeal swabs of 166 peoples in the jail, and 26 of them belonged to ST-4821 serogroup C clone, and 90.14% （375/416） serogroup C strains identified in the nationwide survey belonged to the ST-4821 complex. The ST-4821 serogroup C clone was spread nationwide, distributed in 24 provinces, especially in eastern provinces between 2003 and 2010. Conclusion Endemic transmission and carriage rate of ST-4821 serogroup C clone are high in this jail system. The ST-4821 serogroup C clone is spreading in China and nationwide distributed despite the existence of some effective vaccines.

Characterization of Salmonella Enterica Serotype Typhimurium from Outpatients of 28 Hospitals in Henan Province in 2006

Objective To characterize the diarrheal patients with Salmonella typhimurium （S. typhimurium） infections and to set up the first baseline for S. typhimuri_um pulsed-field gel electrophoresis （PFGE） patterns in Henan province, thus laying a foundation for comprehensive surveillance of Salmonella in human as well as foods. Methods S. typhimurium isolates recovered from outpatients with diarrhea in Henan province from May to October of 2006 were characterized. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests of 8 antimicrobial agents and PFGE were carried out to analyze the S. typhimurium isolates. Results Twenty-four （0.9%） S. typhimurium isolates were identified from 2661 stool specimens of diarrheal cases. Eighty-eight percent of isolates showed resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent. The resistance to chloramphenicol （79%） was most common. Fifty-eight percent of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin. All the 14 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates were resistant to more than five antimicrobial agents. Thirty-three percent of S. typhimurium isolates were resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline （R-type ACSSuT）. Eight antimicrobia-resistant phenotypes were found among the 24 isolates in 16 PFGE patterns. Conclusion The rate of multidrug-resistant S. typhimurium is relatively high in S. typhimurium PFGE patterns of Henan province. Multidrug-resistant S. typhimurium should be considered a public health threat.

Prevalence, genetic diversity, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis in Zhejiang Province, China

This study was conducted to determine genetic diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Staphylococcus aureus recovered from bovine mastiffs in Zhejiang Province, China. Out of 3178 quarter milk samples from 846 lactating cows, among which 459 cows （54.3%） were found HMT positive, 890 quarters （28%） were found having subclinical mastitis. From 75 representative S. aureus isolates, 16 distinct types were identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis （PFGE）. Four major PFGE types （A, B, C, and D） accounted for 82.7% of all isolates, and type A （41.3%） was observed in multiple herds across the studied areas. Each region was found to have a predominant type： Hangzhou type A （64.1%）, Ningbo type C （34.5%） and type B （23.1%）, Jinhua type D （53.3%）, and Taizhou type C （62.5%）. Results of antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that 90.7% of the isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial. Resistance to penicillin and ampicillin （77.3%）, tetracycline （60.0%）, or erythromycin （48.0%） was observed. The bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics such as penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, and erythromycin were commonly found. The information obtained from this study is useful for designing specific control programs for bovine S. aureus mastitis in this region.

Drug-resistant gene based genotyping for Acinetobacter baumannii in tracing epidemiological events and for clinical treatment within nosocomial settings

Background Acinetobacter baumannfi has emerged as an important pathogen related to serious infections and nosocomial outbreaks around the world. However, of the frequently used methods, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis （PFGE） and amplified fragment length polymorphism （AFLP） in Acinetobacter baumannfi genotyping lack the direct molecular proof of drug resistance. This study was conducted to establish a typing method based on drug resistant gene identification in contrast to traditional PFGE and AFLP in the period of nosocomial epidemic or outbreak. Methods From January 2005 to October 2005, twenty-seven strains of Acinetobacter species from Intensive Care Units, the Second Affiliated Hospital in Ningbo were isolated, including both epidemic and sporadic events. Susceptibility test, PFGE, AFLP and drug resistance gene typing （DRGT） were carried out to confirm the drug resistance and analyze the genotyping, respectively. PFGE was used as a reference to evaluate the typeability of DRGT and AFLP. Results Twenty-seven strains of Acinetobacter displayed multiple antibiotic resistance and drug resistant genes, and β-1actamase genes were detected in 85.2% strains. The result of DRGT was comparable to PFGE in Acinetobacter strains with different drug resistance though a little difference existed, and even suggested a molecular evolution course of different drug-resistant strains. AFLP showed great polymorphism between strains and had weak ability in distinguishing the drug resistance. Conclusion Compared to AFLP and PFGE, DRGT is useful to analyze localized molecular epidemiology of nosocomial infections and outbreaks, which would benefit clinical diagnosis and therapy.

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular epidemiological characteristics of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus in Changsha area

Background Increasing prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus）, particularly methicillin-resistant S. aureus （MRSA） has been reported in China. In this study, we investigated the drug resistance characteristic, genetic background, and molecular epidemiological characteristic of S. aureus in Changsha. Methods Between January 2006 and December 2008, 293 clinical isolates of S. aureus were collected from 11 hospitals in Changsha and identified by the Vitek-2 system. All the isolates were verified as MRSA by PCR amplification of both femA and mecA genes. K-B disk method was used to test drug sensitivity of S. aureus to antibiotics. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis （PFGE） was performed for genotypic and homologous analysis of 115 isolates randomly selected from the original 293 clinical S. aureus isolates. Results S. aureus was highly resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, and clindamycin with resistant rates of 96.6%, 96.6%, 77.1%, and 67.2% respectively. All the isolates were susceptible to tecoplanin, vancomycin, and linezolid. MRSA accounted for 64.8% （190/293） of all the S. aureus strains. The 115 S. aureus isolates were clustered into 39 PFGE types by PFGE typing, with 13 predominant patterns （designated types A to M） accounting for 89 isolates. The most prevalent PFGE type was type A （n=56, 48.7%） and 100.0% of type A strains were MRSA. PFGE type A included 13 subtypes, and the most prevalent subtype was subtype A1 （46.4%, 26/56）. Strains with PFGE type A were isolated from eight hospitals （8/11）, and both subtypes A1 and A4 strains were isolated in a university hospital. Conclusions Clinical isolates of S. aureus in Changsha were resistant to multiple traditional antibiotics. There was an outbreak of PFGE type A MRSA in this area and the A1 subtype was the predominant epidemic clone. Dissemination of the same clone was an important reason for the wide spread of MRSA.

Molecular characterizations of serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis strains circulating in Beijing

Neisseria meningitidis （N. meningitidis） is classified into 13 serogroups based on the immunological reactivity of the capsular polysaccharide.Serogourp-s A,B and C are responsible for over 90% of meningococcal disease.2 In developed countries, endemic disease is generally caused by serogroups B and C.

分子分型技术用于流脑疫情的同源性分析

目的应用多位点序列分型(Multilocus sequence typing,MLST)技术和脉冲场凝胶电泳(pulsed-field gel electrophoresis,PFGE)技术对大连市2014年4月同一工地两起流脑疫情得到的脑膜炎奈瑟氏菌株进行分子分型图谱分析,了解各菌株之间的亲缘关系。方法对病例的脑脊液标本进行脑膜炎奈瑟菌PCR分群,对另一病例和所有密切接触者分离菌株进行多位点序列分型(MLST)试验和脉冲场凝胶电泳(PFGE)鉴定实验。结果疑似病例标本PCR结果为脑膜炎奈瑟氏菌A群阳性,另一病例和所有密切接触者分离到的菌株PFGE图谱基本相同,表明来自同一克隆系。多位点序列分析结果为ST7。结论两起疫情分离到的菌株型别之间具有高度的同源性,该病原菌类型为ST7的A群脑膜炎奈瑟氏菌。