Resistência aos carbapenêmicos e virulência de Acinetobacter baumannii e Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolados de um serviço de saúde terciário

Abstract

The non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii are widespread in the environment and are increasingly associated with severe nosocomial infections. Extensive and indiscriminate use of antibiotics has contributed to an increased number of infections caused by A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa that are resistant to a wide variety of antimicrobials, including β-lactams. This study aimed to evaluate physiological and molecular characteristics of carbapenem resistance in P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii. From studies with clinical samples from patients admitted to a tertiary hospital, were isolated in 2012 A. baumannii (n=44) and P. aeruginosa (n=28) resistant to carbapenems and in 2013, P. aeruginosa (n=19) and A. baumannii (n=44) with similar phenotype. The bacterial samples recovered in 2012 were submitted to antibiotic susceptibility testing. Genetic markers related to β-lactamases synthesis blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24, blaOXA-51, blaOXA-58 and blaOXA-143 were screened by PCR. From strains recovered in the 2013 study, physiological tests were performed to evaluate hemolytic activity, oxidative stress, biocides tolerance and biofilm formation, besides determination of antimicrobial resistance patterns. Genetic markers related to β-lactamases synthesis (ampC, blaKPC, blaSIM, blaIMP, blaSPM-1, blaVIM, blaGIM, blaOXA and blaNDM-1), efflux systems (adeB, mexB, mexD, mexF and mexY) and loss of porin (oprD) were screened by PCR. Epidemiological data about all of these patients were analyzed. In the 2012 study, polymyxin B was the only effective drug for all isolates. Genetic markers were observed only in Acinetobacter isolates. The most frequent genotype observed was blaOXA-23+/blaOXA-51+ (45,5%), followed by blaOXA-51+/blaOXA-143+ (41%). The genes blaOXA-24 and blaOXA-58 were not detected. High mortality rate (> 70%) between the pacients was observed. In a prospective study, advanced age, predominance of individuals hospitalized in ICU, use of invasive medical devices, such as venous catheter, previous treatment with fluoroquinolones or β-lactams in combination with β-lactamase inhibitor and prolonged stay in hospital were predisposing factors for infection by these microorganisms. Colistin has shown activity, in vitro, against all assessed bacterial samples. Tigecycline was also effective for strains of A. baumannii. Carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa was not able to produce hemolysin. These strains were less tolerant to oxidative stress and some biocides, but they showed increased ability of biofilm formation in relation to susceptible isolates. The major mechanisms of carbapenems resistance present in A. baumannii strains was oxacilinases synthesis (OXA-23, OXA-51 and OXA-143), oprD absence and efflux pump presence (AdeABC). In P. aeruginosa was found genes encoding efflux pumps (MexAB-OprM, MexCD-OprJ, MexEF-OprN, MexXY-OprM) and blaSPM-1; besides oprD absence. These results confirm the difficulty of therapeutic management of patients with infections associated with multidrug resistant microorganisms, with direct impact on mortality and epidemiological control of multidrug-resistant strains in health centers.