Andrea Endimiani

Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern, Bern, BE, Switzerland

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Publications (56)252.71 Total impact

  • Article: Evaluation of PCR electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry for rapid molecular diagnosis of bovine mastitis.
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    ABSTRACT: Bovine mastitis, an inflammatory disease of the mammary gland, is one of the most costly diseases affecting the dairy industry. The treatment and prevention of this disease is linked heavily to the use of antibiotics in agriculture and early detection of the primary pathogen is essential to control the disease. Milk samples (n = 67) from cows suffering from mastitis were analyzed for the presence of pathogens using PCR electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) and were compared with standard culture diagnostic methods. Concurrent identification of the primary mastitis pathogens was obtained for 64% of the tested milk samples, whereas divergent results were obtained for 27% of the samples. The PCR/ESI-MS failed to identify some of the primary pathogens in 18% of the samples, but identified other pathogens as well as microorganisms in samples that were negative by culture. The PCR/ESI-MS identified bacteria to the species level as well as yeasts and molds in samples that contained a mixed bacterial culture (9%). The sensitivity of the PCR/ESI-MS for the most common pathogens ranged from 57.1 to 100% and the specificity ranged from 69.8 to 100% using culture as gold standard. The PCR/ESI-MS also revealed the presence of the methicillin-resistant gene mecA in 16.2% of the milk samples, which correlated with the simultaneous detection of staphylococci including Staphylococcus aureus. We demonstrated that PCR/ESI-MS, a more rapid diagnostic platform compared with bacterial culture, has the significant potential to serve as an important screening method in the diagnosis of bovine clinical mastitis and has the capacity to be used in infection control programs for both subclinical and clinical disease.
    Journal of Dairy Science 04/2013; · 2.56 Impact Factor
  • Article: Emergence of Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR) Haemophilus parainfluenzae in Switzerland.
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    ABSTRACT: Two homosexual men were colonized in the urethra with Haemophilus parainfluenzae non-susceptible to ampicillin (MIC 8 μg/ml), amoxicillin-clavulanate (MIC 4 μg/ml), cefotaxime (MIC 1.5 μg/ml), cefepime (MIC 3 μg/ml), meropenem (MIC 0.5 μg/ml), cefuroxime, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol (all MICs ≥32 μg/ml). Rep-PCR showed that the strains were indistinguishable. The isolates had amino acid substitutions in PBP3, L4, GyrA, ParC, and possessed Mef(A), Tet(M) and CatS resistance mechanisms. This is the first report of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) H. parainfluenzae.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 04/2013; · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant gram-negative organisms in livestock: An emerging problem for human health?
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    ABSTRACT: Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Acinetobacter spp. are important human pathogens. Serious infections due to these organisms are usually treated with extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs). However, in the past two decades we have faced a rapid increasing of infections and colonization caused by ESC-resistant (ESC-R) isolates due to production of extended-spectrum-β-lactamases (ESBLs), plasmid-mediated AmpCs (pAmpCs) and/or carbapenemase enzymes. This situation limits drastically our therapeutic armamentarium and puts under peril the human health. Animals are considered as potential reservoirs of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative organisms. The massive and indiscriminate use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine has contributed to the selection of ESC-R E. coli, ESC-R Salmonella spp. and, to less extent, MDR Acinetobacter spp. among animals, food, and environment. This complex scenario is responsible for the expansion of these MDR organisms which may have life-threatening clinical significance. Nowadays, the prevalence of food-producing animals carrying ESC-R E. coli and ESC-R Salmonella (especially those producing CTX-M-type ESBLs and the CMY-2 pAmpC) has reached worryingly high values. More recently, the appearance of carbapenem-resistant isolates (i.e., VIM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae and NDM-1 or OXA-23-producing Acinetobacter spp.) in livestock has even drawn greater concerns. In this review, we describe the aspects related to the spread of the above MDR organisms among pigs, cattle, and poultry, focusing on epidemiology, molecular mechanisms of resistance, impact of antibiotic use, and strategies to contain the overall problem. The link and the impact of ESC-R organisms of livestock origin for the human scenario are also discussed.
    Drug resistance updates: reviews and commentaries in antimicrobial and anticancer chemotherapy 02/2013; · 12.58 Impact Factor
  • Article: Characterisation and clinical features of Enterobacter cloacae bloodstream infections occurring at a tertiary care university hospital in Switzerland: is cefepime adequate therapy?
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    ABSTRACT: Despite many years of clinical experience with cefepime, data regarding the outcome of patients suffering from bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to Enterobacter cloacae (Ecl) are scarce. To address the gap in our knowledge, 57 Ecl responsible for 51 BSIs were analysed implementing phenotypic and molecular methods (microarrays, PCRs for bla and other genes, rep-PCR to analyse clonality). Only two E. cloacae (3.5%) were ESBL-producers, whereas 34 (59.6%) and 18 (31.6%) possessed inducible (Ind-Ecl) or derepressed (Der-Ecl) AmpC enzymes, respectively. All isolates were susceptible to imipenem, meropenem, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. Der-Ecl were highly resistant to ceftazidime and piperacillin/tazobactam (both MIC(90)≥256μg/mL), whereas cefepime retained its activity (MIC(90) of 3μg/mL). rep-PCR indicated that the isolates were sporadic, but Ecl collected from the same patients were indistinguishable. In particular, three BSIs initially due to Ind-Ecl evolved (under ceftriaxone or piperacillin/tazobactam treatment) into Der-Ecl because of mutations or a deletion in ampD or insertion of IS4321 in the promoter. These last two mechanisms have never been described in Ecl. Mortality was higher for BSIs due to Der-Ecl than Ind-Ecl (3.8% vs. 29.4%; P=0.028) and was associated with the Charlson co-morbidity index (P=0.046). Using the following directed treatments, patients with BSI showed a favourable treatment outcome: cefepime (16/18; 88.9%); carbapenems (12/13; 92.3%); ceftriaxone (4/7; 57.1%); piperacillin/tazobactam (5/7; 71.4%); and ciprofloxacin (6/6; 100%). Cefepime represents a safe therapeutic option and an alternative to carbapenems to treat BSIs due to Ecl when the prevalence of ESBL-producers is low.
    International journal of antimicrobial agents 01/2013; · 3.03 Impact Factor
  • Article: CMY-2-producing Escherichia coli in the nose of pigs.
    Andrea Endimiani, Markus Hilty, Vincent Perreten
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    ABSTRACT: The spread of extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli (ESC-R-Ec) isolates represents a public-health concern.…
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 06/2012; 56(8):4556-7. · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: First countrywide survey of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli from broilers, swine, and cattle in Switzerland.
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    ABSTRACT: The herd prevalence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli (3GC-R-Ec) was determined for broilers (25.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 17.6-33.7%]), pigs (3.3% [(95% CI 0.4-11.5%]), and cattle (3.9% [95% CI 0.5-13.5%]), using a sampling strategy that was representative of the livestock population slaughtered in Switzerland between October 2010 and April 2011. The 3GC-R-Ec isolates were characterized by the measurement of the MICs of various antibiotics, microarray analyses, analytical isoelectric focusing, polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing for bla genes, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing. CMY-2 (n = 12), CTX-M-1 (n = 11), SHV-12 (n = 5), TEM-52 (n = 3), CTX-M-15 (n = 2), and CTX-M-3 (n = 1) producers were found. The majority of CMY-2 producers fell into 1 PFGE cluster, which predominantly contained ST61, whereas the CTX-M types were carried by heterogeneous clones of E. coli, as shown by the numerous PFGE profiles and STs that were found. This is the first national Swiss study that focuses on the spread of 3GC-R Enterobacteriaceae among slaughtered animals.
    Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease 05/2012; 73(1):31-8. · 2.45 Impact Factor
  • Article: Escherichia coli producing CMY-2 β-lactamase in bovine mastitis milk.
    Andrea Endimiani, Isabelle Bertschy, Vincent Perreten
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    ABSTRACT: An Escherichia coli isolate producing the CMY-2 β-lactamase was found in the milk of a cow with recurrent subclinical mastitis. The isolate was resistant to the antibiotics commonly used for intramammary mastitis treatment, such as penicillins, cephalosporins, β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides. This is the first report of a plasmid-mediated AmpC-producing Enterobacteriaceae in bovine milk.
    Journal of food protection 01/2012; 75(1):137-8. · 1.94 Impact Factor
  • Article: Multicenter evaluation of a new DNA microarray for rapid detection of clinically relevant bla genes from beta-lactam-resistant gram-negative bacteria.
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    ABSTRACT: A new commercial low-density microarray which identifies common extended-spectrum β-lactamase plasmid-mediated cephalosporinase genes, as well as carbapenemase (bla(KPC) and bla(NDM)) genes, was evaluated. We tested 207 clinical and reference/collection isolates of the Enterobacteriaceae possessing different bla genes. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of the microarray were 100% for the detection of the plasmid-mediated bla(AmpC), bla(KPC), and bla(NDM) genes using bla gene sequencing as the reference method.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 09/2011; 55(9):4457-60. · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Carbapenems: past, present, and future.
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    ABSTRACT: In this review, we summarize the current "state of the art" of carbapenem antibiotics and their role in our antimicrobial armamentarium. Among the β-lactams currently available, carbapenems are unique because they are relatively resistant to hydrolysis by most β-lactamases, in some cases act as "slow substrates" or inhibitors of β-lactamases, and still target penicillin binding proteins. This "value-added feature" of inhibiting β-lactamases serves as a major rationale for expansion of this class of β-lactams. We describe the initial discovery and development of the carbapenem family of β-lactams. Of the early carbapenems evaluated, thienamycin demonstrated the greatest antimicrobial activity and became the parent compound for all subsequent carbapenems. To date, more than 80 compounds with mostly improved antimicrobial properties, compared to those of thienamycin, are described in the literature. We also highlight important features of the carbapenems that are presently in clinical use: imipenem-cilastatin, meropenem, ertapenem, doripenem, panipenem-betamipron, and biapenem. In closing, we emphasize some major challenges and urge the medicinal chemist to continue development of these versatile and potent compounds, as they have served us well for more than 3 decades.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 08/2011; 55(11):4943-60. · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from pets and horses in Switzerland: molecular characterization and clinical data.
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    ABSTRACT: We investigated whether Acinetobacter baumannii isolates of veterinary origin shared common molecular characteristics with those described in humans. Nineteen A. baumannii isolates collected in pets and horses were analysed. Clonality was studied using repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (rep-PCR) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). PCR and DNA sequencing for various β-lactamase, aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme, gyrA and parC, ISAba1 and IS1133, adeR and adeS of the AdeABC efflux pump, carO porin and class 1/2/3 integron genes were performed. Two main clones [A (n = 8) and B (n = 9)] were observed by rep-PCR. MLST indicated that clone A contained isolates of sequence type (ST) ST12 (international clone II) and clone B contained isolates of ST15 (international clone I). Two isolates of ST10 and ST20 were also noted. Seventeen isolates were resistant to gentamicin, 12 to ciprofloxacin and 3 to carbapenems. Isolates of ST12 carried bla(OXA-66), bla(ADC-25), bla(TEM-1), aacC2 and IS1133. Strains of ST15 possessed bla(OXA-69), bla(ADC-11), bla(TEM-1) and a class 1 integron carrying aacC1 and aadA1. ISAba1 was found upstream of bla(ADC) (one ST10 and one ST12) and/or bla(OXA-66) (seven ST12). Twelve isolates of different STs contained the substitutions Ser83Leu in GyrA and Ser80Leu or Glu84Lys in ParC. Significant disruptions of CarO porin and overexpressed efflux pumps were not observed. The majority of infections were hospital acquired and in animals with predisposing conditions for infection. STs and the molecular background of resistance observed in our collection have been frequently described in A. baumannii detected in human patients. Animals should be considered as a potential reservoir of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii.
    Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 07/2011; 66(10):2248-54. · 5.07 Impact Factor
  • Article: Exploring the inhibition of CTX-M-9 by beta-lactamase inhibitors and carbapenems.
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    ABSTRACT: Currently, CTX-M β-lactamases are among the most prevalent and most heterogeneous extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). In general, CTX-M enzymes are susceptible to inhibition by β-lactamase inhibitors. However, it is unknown if the pathway to inhibition by β-lactamase inhibitors for CTX-M ESBLs is similar to TEM and SHV β-lactamases and why bacteria possessing only CTX-M ESBLs are so susceptible to carbapenems. Here, we have performed a kinetic analysis and timed electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) studies to reveal the intermediates of inhibition of CTX-M-9, an ESBL representative of this family of enzymes. CTX-M-9 β-lactamase was inactivated by sulbactam, tazobactam, clavulanate, meropenem, doripenem, ertapenem, and a 6-methylidene penem, penem 1. K(i) values ranged from 1.6 ± 0.3 μM (mean ± standard error) for tazobactam to 0.02 ± 0.01 μM for penem 1. Before and after tryptic digestion of the CTX-M-9 β-lactamase apo-enzyme and CTX-M-9 inactivation by inhibitors (meropenem, clavulanate, sulbactam, tazobactam, and penem 1), ESI-MS and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) identified different adducts attached to the peptide containing the active site Ser70 (+52, 70, 88, and 156 ± 3 atomic mass units). This study shows that a multistep inhibition pathway results from modification or fragmentation with clavulanate, sulbactam, and tazobactam, while a single acyl enzyme intermediate is detected when meropenem and penem 1 inactivate CTX-M-9 β-lactamase. More generally, we propose that Arg276 in CTX-M-9 plays an essential role in the recognition of the C(3) carboxylate of inhibitors and that the localization of this positive charge to a "region of the active site" rather than a specific residue represents an important evolutionary strategy used by β-lactamases.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 07/2011; 55(7):3465-75. · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Are we ready for novel detection methods to treat respiratory pathogens in hospital-acquired pneumonia?
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    ABSTRACT: Hospital-acquired pneumonia represents one of the most difficult treatment challenges in infectious diseases. Many studies suggest that the timely administration of appropriate, pathogen-directed therapy can be lifesaving. Because results of culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing can take 48 h or longer, physicians currently rely on clinical, epidemiological, and demographic factors to assist with the choice of empiric therapy for antibiotic-resistant pathogens. At present, a number of rapid molecular tests are being developed that identify pathogens and the presence of genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance (eg, GeneXpert [Cepheid], ResPlex [Qiagen], FilmArray [Idaho Technologies], and Microarray [Check-Points]). In this review, the potential impact that molecular diagnostics has to identify and characterize pathogens that cause hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia at an early stage is examined. In addition, a perspective on a novel technology, polymerase chain reaction followed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, is presented, and its prospective use in the diagnosis of pneumonia is also discussed. The complexities of the pulmonary microbiome represent a novel challenge to clinicians, but many questions still remain even as these technologies improve.
    Clinical Infectious Diseases 05/2011; 52 Suppl 4:S373-83. · 9.15 Impact Factor
  • Article: Treatment and outcomes in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections.
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    ABSTRACT: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) is an emerging multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen. This is a retrospective chart review describing the outcomes and treatment of 60 cases of CR-Kp bloodstream infections. All CR-Kp isolated from blood cultures were identified retrospectively from the microbiology laboratory from January 2007 to May 2009. Clinical information was collected from the electronic medical record. Patients with 14-day hospital mortality were compared to those who survived 14 days. The all-cause in-hospital and 14-day mortality for all 60 CR-Kp bloodstream infections were 58.3% and 41.7%, respectively. In this collection, 98% of tested isolates were susceptible in vitro to tigecycline compared to 86% to colistimethate, 45% to amikacin, and 22% to gentamicin. Nine patients died before cultures were finalized and received no therapy active against CR-Kp. In the remaining 51 patients, those who survived to day 14 (n = 35) were compared to nonsurvivors at day 14 (n=16). These patients were characterized by both chronic disease and acute illness. The 90-day readmission rate for hospital survivors was 72%. Time to active therapy was not significantly different between survivors and nonsurvivors, and hospital mortality was also similar regardless of therapy chosen. Pitt bacteremia score was the only significant factor associated with mortality in Cox regression analysis. In summary, CR-Kp bloodstream infections occur in patients who are chronically and acutely ill. They are associated with high 14-day mortality and poor outcomes regardless of tigecycline or other treatment regimens selected.
    Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease 04/2011; 69(4):357-62. · 2.45 Impact Factor
  • Article: Effect of antibiotic treatment on establishment and elimination of intestinal colonization by KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in mice.
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    ABSTRACT: An understanding of the impact of antibiotics on the intestinal reservoir of KPC carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) is important to prevent its emergence. We used a mouse model to examine the effect of antibiotic treatment on the establishment and elimination of intestinal colonization with KPC-Kp. Mice (10 per group) received subcutaneous antibiotics daily for 8 days. On day 3 of treatment, 10(3) CFU of KPC-Kp was given orogastrically, and concentrations of KPC-Kp in stool were monitored. Additional experiments assessed the effects of antibiotic treatment on concentrations of total anaerobes and Bacteroides spp. in stool and the efficacy of orogastric gentamicin and polymyxin E in suppressing KPC-Kp colonization. Of four antibiotics with minimal activity against the KPC-Kp test strain (MIC ≥ 16 μg/ml), those that suppressed total anaerobes and bacteroides (i.e., clindamycin and piperacillin-tazobactam) promoted colonization by KPC-Kp (P < 0.001), whereas agents that did not suppress total anaerobes or bacteroides (i.e., ciprofloxacin and cefepime) did not (P = 0.35). Of two agents with moderate activity against the KPC-Kp test strain, ertapenem (MIC, 4 μg/ml) did not promote colonization by KPC-Kp, whereas tigecycline (MIC, 3 μg/ml) did (P < 0.001), despite not reducing levels of total anaerobes or bacteroides. Orogastric treatment with gentamicin and polymyxin E suppressed KPC-Kp to undetectable levels in the majority of mice. These data suggest that antibiotics that disturb the intestinal anaerobic microflora and lack significant activity against KPC-Kp promote colonization by this organism. The administration of nonabsorbed oral antibiotics may be an effective strategy to suppress colonization with KPC-Kp.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 03/2011; 55(6):2585-9. · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Outbreak of colistin-resistant, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan.
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    ABSTRACT: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae has spread worldwide and throughout the United States. Colistin is used extensively to treat infections with this organism. We describe a cluster of colistin-resistant, carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae infection cases involving three institutions in Detroit, MI. A cluster of five cases of colistin-resistant, carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae was identified at Detroit Medical Center (DMC) from 27 July to 22 August 2009. Epidemiologic data were collected, and transmission opportunities were analyzed. Isolates were genotyped by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR. Data regarding the use of colistin were obtained from pharmacy records. The index case of colistin-resistant, carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae was followed 20 days later by four additional cases occurring in a 6-day interval. All of the patients, at some point, had stayed at one particular institution. The mean number of opportunities for transmission between patients was 2.3 ± 0.5, and each patient had at least one opportunity for transmission with one of the other patients. Compared to 60 colistin-susceptible, carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae controls isolated in the previous year at DMC, case patients were significantly older (P = 0.05) and the carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae organisms isolated from them displayed much higher MICs to imipenem (P < 0.001). Colistin use was not enhanced in the months preceding the outbreak. Genotyping revealed two closely related clones. This report of a colistin-resistant, carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae outbreak is strongly linked to patient-to-patient transmission. Controlling the spread and novel emergence of bacteria with this phenotype is of paramount importance.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 02/2011; 55(2):593-9. · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: In vivo and in vitro activity of the siderophore monosulfactam BAL30072 against Acinetobacter baumannii.
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    ABSTRACT: New antibiotics that are active against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii are urgently needed. BAL30072, a siderophore monosulfactam antibiotic that rapidly penetrates the outer membrane of A. baumannii and has potent activity against most isolates, including those harbouring AmpC β-lactamases and metallo- (class B) or OXA- (class D) carbapenemases, is being developed to meet that need. We assessed the in vitro activity of BAL30072, meropenem and the combination of BAL30072 and meropenem (2:1 and 1:1 ratios) by MIC and time-kill studies. Proof-of-principle in vivo efficacy was determined using a rat soft-tissue infection model. Five diverse strains with defined phenotypic and genetic profiles were tested (AB307-0294, AB8407, AB1697, AB3340 and AB0057). In microdilution assays, combining BAL30072 with meropenem lowered meropenem MICs 2-8-fold. In time-kill studies, the BAL30072 and meropenem combinations resulted in bactericidal concentrations 2-8-fold lower than those of meropenem or BAL30072 alone. In the rat model, BAL30072 was active against four of five strains (AB307-0294, AB8407, AB1697 and AB3340), including meropenem-susceptible and -non-susceptible strains. AB0057 was the only strain resistant to BAL30072 in vivo and in vitro (MIC >64 mg/L). Meropenem was active in vivo against two of the five strains tested (AB307-0294 and AB3340). Both BAL30072 and BAL30072 with meropenem were equally effective in vivo. These data support the continued evaluation of BAL30072 for use in the treatment of infections caused by MDR A. baumannii.
    Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 02/2011; 66(4):867-73. · 5.07 Impact Factor
  • Article: Novel bis-indole agents active against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.
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    ABSTRACT: The in vitro activity of 5 novel Microbiotix bis-indole agents (MBXs) (Microbiotix, Worcester, MA) against 30 multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (including 18 resistant to carbapenems) was evaluated. Overall, MIC(90)'s ranged from 1 to 8 μg/mL, whereas those for imipenem were >64 μg/mL. MBX 1196 was the most potent (MIC(90), 1 μg/mL). MBXs are compounds that are highly effective against MDR A. baumannii.
    Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease 01/2011; 69(1):114-6. · 2.45 Impact Factor
  • Article: Emergence of linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus after prolonged treatment of cystic fibrosis patients in Cleveland, Ohio.
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    ABSTRACT: Linezolid (LZD)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LRSA) isolates were monitored from 2000 to 2009 in Cleveland, OH. LRSA first emerged in 2004 only in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, with 11 LRSA-infected CF patients being identified by 2009. LRSA was isolated from 8 of 77 CF patients with S. aureus respiratory tract infection treated with LZD from 2000 to 2006. Analysis of clinical data showed that the 8 CF patients with LRSA received more LZD courses (18.8 versus 5.9; P = 0.001) for a longer duration (546.5 versus 211.9 days; P < 0.001) and had extended periods of exposure to LZD (83.1 versus 30.1 days/year; P < 0.001) than the 69 with LZD-susceptible isolates. Five LRSA isolates included in the clinical analysis (2000 to 2006) and three collected in 2009 were available for molecular studies. Genotyping by repetitive extrapalindromic PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that seven of these eight LRSA strains from unique patients were genetically similar. By multilocus sequence typing, all LRSA isolates were included in clonal complex 5 (seven of sequence type 5 [ST5] and one of ST1788, a new single-locus variant of ST5). However, seven different variants were identified by spa typing. According to the Escherichia coli numbering system, seven LRSA isolates contained a G2576T mutation (G2603T, S. aureus numbering) in one to four of the five copies of domain V of the 23S rRNA genes. One strain also contained a mutation (C2461T, E. coli numbering) not previously reported. Two strains, including one without domain V mutations, possessed single amino acid substitutions (Gly152Asp or Gly139Arg) in the ribosomal protein L3 of the peptidyltransferase center, substitutions not previously reported in clinical isolates. Emergence of LRSA is a serious concern for CF patients who undergo prolonged courses of LZD therapy.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 01/2011; 55(4):1684-92. · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Source
    Article: Evaluation of ceftazidime and NXL104 in two murine models of infection due to KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.
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    ABSTRACT: We evaluated the efficacy of NXL104, a novel β-lactamase inhibitor, in combination with ceftazidime (CAZ) in two murine infection models (septicemia and thigh infection). We chose two KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains (VA-361 and VA-406) showing MICs of CAZ of ≥256 μg/ml. Septicemia was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of KPC-producing K. pneumoniae followed 30 min later by a single subcutaneous treatment with CAZ alone or CAZ-NXL104 in ratios of 2:1, 4:1, 8:1, and 16:1. In this model, the median effective doses for 50% (ED(50)) of the animals for CAZ alone versus VA-361 and VA-406 were 1,578 and 709 mg/kg of body weight, respectively. When combined with NXL104 at 2:1, 4:1, 8:1, and 16:1 ratios, the CAZ ED(50)s for VA-361 and VA-406 were reduced to 8.1 and 3.5 mg/kg, 15.1 and 3.8 mg/kg, 16.9 and 7.2 mg/kg, and 29.5 and 12.1 mg/kg, respectively. For thigh infection, neutropenia was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide at days -4 and -1 preinfection. Infection was established by the intramuscular injection of KPC-producing K. pneumoniae into the right thigh. Mice were treated 1.5 h postinfection with either CAZ alone or CAZ-NXL104 at constant ratios of 4:1. When thighs were removed at 24 h postinfection, a >2-log CFU reduction was observed for mice treated with CAZ-NXL104 at doses of ≥128:32 mg/kg. In contrast, CAZ doses of ≥1,024 mg/kg were unable to reduce the numbers of CFU. Despite resistance to CAZ and possessing a complex β-lactamase background, NXL104 combined with CAZ proved to be very effective in murine models of infection due to contemporary highly resistant KPC-producing K. pneumoniae isolates.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 11/2010; 55(1):82-5. · 4.84 Impact Factor
  • Article: Genetic factors associated with elevated carbapenem resistance in KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.
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    ABSTRACT: In the United States, the most prevalent mechanism of carbapenem resistance among Enterobacteriaceae is the production of a Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC). KPC-producing isolates often exhibit a range of carbapenem MICs. To better understand the factors that contribute to overall carbapenem resistance, we analyzed 27 KPC-producing K. pneumoniae isolates with different levels of carbapenem resistance, 11 with low-level (i.e., meropenem or imipenem MIC ≤ 4 μg/ml), 2 with intermediate-level (i.e., meropenem and imipenem MIC = 8 μg/ml), and 14 with high-level (i.e., imipenem or meropenem MIC ≥ 16 μg/ml) carbapenem resistance, that were received from throughout the United States. Among 14 isolates that exhibited high-level carbapenem resistance, Western blot analysis indicated that 10 produced an elevated amount of KPC. These isolates either contained an increased bla(KPC) gene copy number (n = 3) or had deletions directly upstream of the bla(KPC) gene (n = 7). Four additional isolates lacked elevated KPC production but had high-level carbapenem resistance. Porin sequencing analysis identified 22 isolates potentially lacking a functional OmpK35 and three isolates potentially lacking a functional OmpK36. The highest carbapenem MICs were found in two isolates that lacked both functioning porins and produced elevated amounts of KPC. The 11 isolates with low-level carbapenem resistance contained neither an upstream deletion nor increased bla(KPC) copy number. These results suggest that both bla(KPC) copy number and deletions in the upstream genetic environment affect the level of KPC production and may contribute to high-level carbapenem resistance in KPC-producing K. pneumoniae, particularly when coupled with OmpK36 porin loss.
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 10/2010; 54(10):4201-7. · 4.84 Impact Factor

Institutions

  • 2013
    • Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern
      Bern, BE, Switzerland
  • 2011–2013
    • Universität Bern
      • Institut für Veterinär-Virologie
      Bern, BE, Switzerland
    • Université Catholique de Louvain
      Louvain-la-Neuve, WAL, Belgium
    • University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
      Buffalo, NY, USA
  • 2009–2011
    • Case Western Reserve University
      • • School of Medicine
      • • Department of Medicine (University Hospitals Case Medical Center)
      Cleveland, OH, USA
    • University of Pittsburgh
      • Division of Infectious Diseases
      Pittsburgh, PA, USA
  • 2008–2011
    • Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
      Cleveland, OH, USA
  • 2007–2011
    • Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
      Cleveland, OH, USA
  • 2010
    • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
      Washington, D. C., DC, USA
  • 2004–2007
    • Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi Varese
      Varese, Lombardy, Italy
  • 2003–2006
    • Università degli Studi dell'Insubria
      Varese, Lombardy, Italy