Comparative bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities of cefodizime against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. (17/764)

The MIC and MSC (minimum spirocheticidal concentration) and killing rate for Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease, were assessed for cefodizime in comparison with ceftriaxone, minocycline, azithromycin, roxithromycin, and ciprofloxacin. The range of cefodizime MICs was greater than those of azithromycin and roxithromycin but comparable to those of ceftriaxone and minocycline. The MSCs were 1 to 2 dilutions higher than the MICs of all of the tested compounds. The killing curves of cefodizime and ceftriaxone showed parallel courses. In conclusion, cefodizime exerted an activity comparable to that of ceftriaxone against B. burgdorferi.  (+info)

Major related sets of antibiotic-resistant Pneumococci in the United States as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and pbp1a-pbp2b-pbp2x-dhf restriction profiles. (18/764)

To assess the genetic diversity of pneumococci causing serious disease within the United States, restriction profiles of 3 penicillin-binding protein (PBP)-gene amplicons and the dhf amplicon were examined in 241 recent sterile-site isolates from 7 population centers. This analysis provided markers useful for epidemiologic studies and was generally predictive of resistances to beta-lactam antibiotics and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Eight pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types, each representing 3-40 isolates, accounted for 134 of the 144 beta-lactam-resistant pneumococci (MICs >/=1 microgram/mL for penicillin, cefotaxime, or both). Five of these PFGE types contained subtypes highly related to subtypes of previously characterized pneumococcal clones. Within 4 of these PFGE types, the major composite PBP gene-dhf profile was highly related to the composite profile from the previously characterized related clone. Eight capsular serotypes were found among the 144 beta-lactam-resistant pneumococci. Divergent capsular types among isolates with identical PBP gene-dhf profiles and related PFGE types indicated several instances of capsular serotype switching.  (+info)

Clinical outcomes of meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in the era of antibiotic resistance. (19/764)

Limited data are available on clinical outcomes of meningitis due to cefotaxime-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae. We analyzed data from 109 cases of pneumococcal meningitis in Atlanta, Baltimore, and San Antonio, which were identified through population-based active surveillance from November 1994 to April 1996. Pneumococcal isolates from 9% of the cases were resistant to cefotaxime, and isolates from 11% had intermediate susceptibility. Children were more likely to have cephalosporin-nonsusceptible pneumococcal meningitis, but mortality was significantly higher among adults aged 18-64 years. Vancomycin was given upon admission to 29% of patients, and within 48 h of admission to 52%. Nonsusceptibility to cefotaxime was not associated with the following outcomes: increased mortality, prolonged length of hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) stay, requirement of intubation or oxygen, ICU care, discharge to another medical or long-term-care facility, or neurological deficit. Empirical use of vancomycin, current prevalence of drug-resistant S. pneumoniae, and degree of nonsusceptibility to cefotaxime may have influenced these findings.  (+info)

Sub-MIC concentrations of cefodizime interfere with various factors affecting bacterial virulence. (20/764)

The molecular array of the outermost surface of bacteria and their physico-chemical characteristics modulate various functions which, when expressed in terms of the human environment, are generally known as factors of bacterial virulence. The present study investigated the ability of sub-MIC concentrations of cefodizime to interfere with the virulence factors of Escherichia coli. Bacterial adhesiveness to human epithelial cells was inhibited down to 1/32 x MIC of cefodizime, an antibiotic that is also capable of inducing the widespread production of filamentous forms at levels ranging from 1/2 to 1/8 x MIC. Given that this interfered with the correct evaluation of other virulence parameters, the study was extended to consider the effects of 1/16 to 1/128 x MIC. Sub-MIC concentrations of cefodizime inhibit haemagglutination, hydrophobicity and electrophoretic mobility, which are correlated with each other and provide clues relating to the physico-chemical characteristics of the outer surface. Cefodizime also reduces swarming. Phagocytosis was not affected but killing increased significantly. Oxidative bursts investigated by a chemiluminescence procedure were not modified. The interpolation of these pharmacodynamic findings with pharmacokinetic curves indicates that the effect of sub-MIC concentrations of cefodizime can prolong antimicrobial effects on virulence determinants up to 12 h after the antibiotic concentration has fallen below the MIC value.  (+info)

Mortality from invasive pneumococcal pneumonia in the era of antibiotic resistance, 1995-1997. (21/764)

OBJECTIVES: This study examined epidemiologic factors affecting mortality from pneumococcal pneumonia in 1995 through 1997. METHODS: Persons residing in a surveillance area who had community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization and Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from a sterile site were included in the analysis. Factors affecting mortality were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses. The number of deaths from pneumococcal pneumonia requiring hospitalization in the United States in 1996 was estimated. RESULTS: Of 5837 cases, 12% were fatal. Increased mortality was associated with older age, underlying disease. Asian race, and residence in Toronto/Peel, Ontario. When these factors were controlled for, increased mortality was not associated with resistance to penicillin or cefotaxime. However, when deaths during the first 4 hospital days were excluded, mortality was significantly associated with penicillin minimum inhibitory concentrations of 4.0 or higher and cefotaxime minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2.0 or higher. In 1996, about 7000 to 12,500 deaths occurred in the United States from pneumococcal pneumonia requiring hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Older age and underlying disease remain the most important factors influencing death from pneumococcal pneumonia. Mortality was not elevated in most infections with beta-lactam-resistant pneumococci.  (+info)

Inactivation of the ampD gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa leads to moderate-basal-level and hyperinducible AmpC beta-lactamase expression. (22/764)

It has been shown in enterobacteria that mutations in ampD provoke hyperproduction of chromosomal beta-lactamase, which confers to these organisms high levels of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. In this study, we investigated whether this genetic locus was implicated in the altered AmpC beta-lactamase expression of selected clinical isolates and laboratory mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The sequences of the ampD genes and promoter regions from these strains were determined and compared to that of wild-type ampD from P. aeruginosa PAO1. Although we identified numerous nucleotide substitutions, they resulted in few amino acid changes. The phenotypes produced by these mutations were ascertained by complementation analysis. The data revealed that the ampD genes of the P. aeruginosa mutants transcomplemented Escherichia coli ampD mutants to the same levels of beta-lactam resistance and beta-lactamase expression as wild-type ampD. Furthermore, complementation of the P. aeruginosa mutants with wild-type ampD did not restore the inducibility of beta-lactamase to wild-type levels. This shows that the amino acid substitutions identified in AmpD do not cause the altered phenotype of AmpC beta-lactamase expression in the P. aeruginosa mutants. The effects of AmpD inactivation in P. aeruginosa PAO1 were further investigated by gene replacement. This resulted in moderate-basal-level and hyperinducible expression of beta-lactamase accompanied by high levels of beta-lactam resistance. This differs from the stably derepressed phenotype reported in AmpD-defective enterobacteria and suggests that further change at another unknown genetic locus may be causing total derepressed AmpC production. This genetic locus could also be altered in the P. aeruginosa mutants studied in this work.  (+info)

TLA-1: a new plasmid-mediated extended-spectrum beta-lactamase from Escherichia coli. (23/764)

Escherichia coli R170, isolated from the urine of an infected patient, was resistant to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin but was susceptible to amikacin, cefotetan, and imipenem. This particular strain contained three different plasmids that encoded two beta-lactamases with pIs of 7.0 and 9.0. Resistance to cefotaxime, ceftazidime, aztreonam, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole was transferred by conjugation from E. coli R170 to E. coli J53-2. The transferred plasmid, RZA92, which encoded a single beta-lactamase, was 150 kb in length. The cefotaxime resistance gene that encodes the TLA-1 beta-lactamase (pI 9.0) was cloned from the transconjugant by transformation to E. coli DH5alpha. Sequencing of the bla(TLA-1) gene revealed an open reading frame of 906 bp, which corresponded to 301 amino acid residues, including motifs common to class A beta-lactamases: (70)SXXK, (130)SDN, and (234)KTG. The amino acid sequence of TLA-1 shared 50% identity with the CME-1 chromosomal class A beta-lactamase from Chryseobacterium (Flavobacterium) meningosepticum; 48.8% identity with the VEB-1 class A beta-lactamase from E. coli; 40 to 42% identity with CblA of Bacteroides uniformis, PER-1 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and PER-2 of Salmonella typhimurium; and 39% identity with CepA of Bacteroides fragilis. The partially purified TLA-1 beta-lactamase had a molecular mass of 31.4 kDa and a pI of 9.0 and preferentially hydrolyzed cephaloridine, cefotaxime, cephalothin, benzylpenicillin, and ceftazidime. The enzyme was markedly inhibited by sulbactam, tazobactam, and clavulanic acid. TLA-1 is a new extended-spectrum beta-lactamase of Ambler class A.  (+info)

A novel CTX-M beta-lactamase (CTX-M-8) in cefotaxime-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolated in Brazil. (24/764)

To estimate the diversity of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in Brazil, 18 strains from different species of the family Enterobacteriaceae exhibiting a positive double-disk synergy test were collected by a clinical laboratory from several hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1996 and 1997. Four strains (Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Citrobacter amalonaticus) hybridized with a 550-bp CTX-M probe. The P. mirabilis strain produced a CTX-M-2 enzyme. The E. cloacae, E. aerogenes, and C. amalonaticus isolates harbored a bla gene which was identified by cloning and sequencing as a bla(CTX-M) gene. E. coli HB101 transconjugants and the E. coli DH5alpha transformant harboring a recombinant plasmid produced a CTX-M beta-lactamase with an isoelectric point of 7.6 conferring a resistance phenotype characterized by a higher level of resistance to cefotaxime than to ceftazidime, as observed with the other CTX-M enzymes. The deduced protein sequence showed a novel Ambler class A CTX-M enzyme, named CTX-M-8, which had 83 to 88% identity with the previously described CTX-M enzymes. The phylogenic study of the CTX-M family including CTX-M-8 revealed four CTX-M types, CTX-M-8 being the first member of a new phylum of CTX-M enzymes. The evolutionary distances between the four types of CTX-M were large, suggesting that the four clusters branched off early from a distant unknown enzyme and that intermediate enzymes probably existed.  (+info)