[Molecular analysis of vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolated from clinical samples]

Abstract

Enterococcus species are the inhabitants of gastrointestinal flora and can cause endocarditis, urinary tract infections, and bacteremia. In recent years, infections caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have increased in our country. The infections caused by VRE are treated with glycopeptide antibiotics like vancomycin and teicoplanin. Although seven different resistant genes have been described in VRE, VanA is the most frequently detected one in Turkey. The aim of this study was (i) to genotype four vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains isolated in our hospital, by using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE); and (ii) to detect the type of Van gene by using polymerase chain reaction. Three of the strains were isolated from blood cultures and one from cerebrospinal fluid of the hospitalized patients between the years 2000-2004, and identified by both conventional methods and commercial kits. By using PFGE, we detected that isolates were different according to Tenover criteria and they had VanA genes. As a result, VanA carrying VRE cause sporadic infections in our hospital. The molecular epidemiologic investigation of resistant microorganisms is important in terms of infection control and epidemiology.