OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the virulence and the carbapenem resistance phenotype of Klebsiella pneumoniae from blood infection, and to identify carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-HVKP)strains.
METHODS: A total of 192 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were isolated from blood culture of patients with bloodstream infections from 2016 to 2019, of which 96 isolates were carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and 96 were carbapenem-sensitive Klebsiella pneumoniae (CSKP). The drug susceptibility was detected by VITEK-2 automatic microbial analyzer; carbapenemase genes, virulence genes and capsule typing were detected by polymerase chain reaction; the high viscosity phenotype of strains was detected by string test, and the genome characteristics of CR-HVKP were detected by whole genome sequencing. Serum killing and biofilm formation test were used to further verify the virulence of CR-HVKP.
RESULTS: There were significant differences in drug resistance to common antibiotics, except for minocycline between CSKP and CRKP isolates (all P<0.05). 92 out of 96 CRKP isolates carried carbapenemase genes, mainly blaKPC-2. The string tests were positive in 4 isolates of CRKP and 36 isolates of CSKP (P<0.05). The detection rates of virulence genes Kfu, aerobictin, iutA, ybtS, rmpA, magA, allS, and capsule antigen K1 and K2 in CSKP group were significantly higher than those in CRKP group (all P<0.05). One HVKP strain was detected in the CRKP group (CR-HVKP) and 36 HVKP was detected in the CSKP group (P<0.05). The CR-HVKP strain belonged to the MLST412, serotype K57, expressed iutA, entB, mrkD, fimH, and rmpA virulence genes, and showed strong biofilm formation and significantly increased serum resistance. Whole genome sequencing results showed that this CR-HVKP isolate carried blaSHV-145, blaTEM-1, blaCTX-M-3, fosA6, oqxA5, oqxB26, and aac(3)-IId resistance genes, accompanied by abnormalities in outer membrane protein K (OmpK) 35 and OmpK36.
CONCLUSIONS: The drug resistance of CRKP is significantly higher than that of CSKP, while CRKP carrying fewer virulence genes in both number and types compared to CSKP. A new MLST type of carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strain has been detected, which requires clinical awareness and epidemiological monitoring.
目的: 探讨本地区从血培养分离的肺炎克雷伯菌临床株的毒力与碳青霉烯类耐药表型的关系,并对碳青霉烯类耐药高毒力肺炎克雷伯菌(CR-HVKP)进行毒力表型验证。方法: 收集2016—2019年血流感染患者血培养分离的192株非重复肺炎克雷伯菌,其中96株为碳青霉烯类耐药肺炎克雷伯菌(CRKP),96株为碳青霉烯敏感肺炎克雷伯菌(CSKP)。采用VITEK-2全自动微生物分析仪检测菌株对药物的敏感性,聚合酶链反应检测碳青霉烯类耐药基因、毒力基因和荚膜分型,拉丝实验检测菌株的高黏表型,全基因组测序方法检测CR-HVKP菌株的基因组特征,并通过血清抗性试验和生物膜形成试验进一步验证CR-HVKP的毒力。结果: CRKP对常见抗菌药物耐药率高,CSKP则对常见抗菌药物较敏感;除米诺环素外,CRKP组和CSKP组菌株对抗菌药物的耐药率差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。96株CRKP中,92株携带碳青霉烯酶基因,以blaKPC-2为主。在毒力因子方面,4株CRKP和36株CSKP拉丝试验阳性,呈现为高黏表型,两者差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。与CRKP组比较,CSKP组Kfu、aerobictin、iutA、ybtS、rmpA、magA、allS等毒力基因检出率均增加,荚膜抗原K1和K2检出率也增加(均P<0.05)。CRKP组检出高毒力肺炎克雷伯菌(HVKP)1株(即CR-HVKP),CSKP组检出HVKP 36株,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。全基因组测序结果显示,CR-HVKP多位点序列分型为412,荚膜抗原为K57,携带iutA、entB、mrkD、fimH和rmpA毒力基因,生物膜形成能力和血清抵抗力强,同时携带blaSHV-145、blaTEM-1、blaCTX-M-3、fosA6、oqxA5、oqxB26和aac(3)-IId耐药基因,伴随外膜蛋白K(OmpK)35和OmpK36的异常。结论: CRKP对抗菌药物的耐药率明显高于CSKP,虽然其携带的毒力基因数和种类均少于CSKP,但也出现了碳青霉烯类耐药且高毒力的新型多位点序列分型肺炎克雷伯菌。后者可能对公共卫生造成严重威胁。.