Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “enterococci”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Binding of selected extracellular matrix proteins to enterococci and Streptococcus bovis of animal origin.

Thirty-three enterococcal strains and 10 Streptococcus bovis strains were investigated for their protein-binding cell surface components. Seven extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins were immobilized on Difco latex beads to detect these components on the surface of all enterococcal strains and eight non-autoaggregating S. bovis strains by a particle agglutination assay (PAA). Twenty-three selected strains were also examined in microtiter plate assays. According to the absorbance readings (A(570nm)), 11 strains were classified as nonadherent (A(570nm) < 0.1), 10 strains as weakly adherent (0.1 < A(570nm) > 0.3), and 2 strains as strongly adherent (A(570nm) > 0.3) in these assays. A direct correlation was found between the values obtained in PAA and A(570nm) readings of microtiter plate assays. Binding of (125)I-labeled bovine lactoferrin to enterococci and streptococci was in the range of 6%-30% and of (125)I-labeled human vitronectin in the range of 9%-33% to streptococci. The binding of(125)I-labeled ECM proteins to selected strains was much more effectively inhibited by sulfated carbohydrates than by non-sulfated hyaluronic acid, indicating the importance of the sulfate groups of these inhibitors. An inhibition effect of heparin on bLf binding to four selected strains was higher in comparison with fucoidan in the microtiter plates. Thirty-five out of 44 strains had agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes. However, these strains showed no ability to agglutinate bovine or sheep erythrocytes.

Agglutination↗
PubMed2005

Antimicrobial agents for treatment of serious infections caused by resistant Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci.

As clinicians increasingly contend with infections due to staphylococci or enterococci resistant to, or failing treatment with, traditional antimicrobial agents, understanding the potential roles of older as well as more recently introduced antimicrobial agents becomes important. Older agents, such as clindamycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, have been used to treat infections due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Among the licensed agents, quinupristin-dalfopristin, linezolid, daptomycin, and tigecycline are active in vitro against most strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, but these agents differ in their approved clinical indications. New agents currently under investigation may further expand treatment options.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2005

Antibiotics and gastrointestinal colonization by vancomycin-resistant enterococci.

Although several classes of antimicrobial agents have been associated with colonization or infection with glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE) in individual clinical studies, the agents most commonly implicated are extended-spectrum cephalosporins and compounds with potent activity against anaerobic bacteria, including ticarcillin-clavulanic acid. In some clinical studies, formulary alterations designed to minimize the use of extended-spectrum cephalosporins or ticarcillin-clavulanic acid have resulted in significant decreases in colonization and infection by GRE. Experimental data using a mouse model of GRE gastrointestinal colonization indicate that persistence of high-level GRE colonization of the mouse gastrointestinal tract is promoted by exposure to agents with potent activity against anaerobic bacteria, suggesting that reduction of competing flora is the major factor leading to persistence of high-level colonization. One study performed in humans is consistent with this model and suggests that high levels of colonization may promote spread of resistant organisms in the nosocomial setting. Establishing colonization with GRE in uncolonized mice correlates with exposure to agents that are (a) secreted into the bile in significant concentrations and (b) have negligible activity against the colonizing enterococcal strain. Differences between piperacillin-tazobactam and ceftriaxone in the establishment model can be attributed directly to differences in their anti-enterococcal activity. Modification of antimicrobial prescribing practices may play an important role in facilitating successful infection control efforts to limit GRE in the nosocomial setting.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Epidemiological analysis of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in a large tertiary-care hospital in Northern Italy.

The epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) was studied in a large tertiary-care hospital in northern Italy from February 1993 to December 1999. Sixteen cases of bacteraemic and 17 cases of nonbacteraemic active infections caused by VRE were recorded. Fifteen of the bacteraemic and four of the nonbacteraemic infections occurred in patients in the haematology department, while the remainder were registered in other departments of the same hospital. Active surveillance for the presence of VRE in stools led to identification of 51 noninfected carriers over the 1994-1999 period; of these, 32 were haematology patients and the remainder were patients admitted to other departments. All VRE isolates carried the vanA gene. Forty-one Enterococcus faecium isolates and eight Enterococcus faecalis isolates collected in the 1993-1996 period were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Twenty-nine isolates of Enterococcus faecium shared either indistinguishable or strictly or possibly related patterns. Of these, 26 were isolated from patients in the haematology department. This is believed to be the first study on the epidemiology of VRE carried out in a large hospital in Italy over a period of several consecutive years. It reports an increase in VRE due to the epidemic spread of genetically related strains and sporadic infections or colonisation by unrelated VRE. It also documents the success of surveillance and of the measures adopted for preventing the spread of VRE in patients at risk.

Bacteremia↗
PubMed2006

Recovery and characterization of a 30.7-kDa protein from Bacillus licheniformis associated with inhibitory activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and Listeria monocytogenes.

Of 131 bacterial isolates from seaweed, a culture of Bacillus licheniformis produced a novel protein with antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and Listeria monocytogenes. The antibacterial activity was maximal in cultures prepared in Columbia broth containing pieces of synthetic polyurethane sponge and shaken at 210 to 230 rpm. Antibacterial activity was not found in cultures grown statically or with different speeds of rotary shaking. Reduced activity was apparent in supernatants prepared from marine 2216E broth and tryptone soya broth with or without 1% (wt/vol) sodium chloride. The antibacterial compound was sensitive to proteinase K, pronase, and trypsin, but was not affected by Tween-20, -40, -60, or -80, or alpha- or beta-amylase. Activity was not adversely affected by heating up to 40 degrees C or treatment at pH 5 to 14. The bioactive compound was determined to be associated with a protein of 30.7 kDa, which had homology to the YbdN protein of B. licheniformis ATCC 14580.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

No regional spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci with vanA or vanB in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection occur sporadically in Japan, and their frequency has been gradually increasing. We experienced a nosocomial outbreak of VRE in two hospitals in the city of Kitakyushu, and the spread of VRE strains was suspected in this area. To examine the prevalence rate of infection and colonization of VRE in Kitakyushu, we screened a total of 24 297 clinical samples from patients in hospitals and clinics in Kitakyushu from October through December 2002 for VRE. The isolates screened as positive for VRE accounted for 2.3% (566/24 297) of the tested clinical samples. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses for vanA, vanB, vanC1, and vanC2/3 were performed to confirm the screening test results. Neither vanA nor vanB genes were detected in any isolates. The 265 vanC1-positive isolates were Enterococcus gallinarum, and the 150 vanC2/3-positive isolates were E. casseliflavus. Other Enterococcus species were negative in this PCR-detection test. In this study, the PCR procedure was considered reliable and successful because although neither vanA nor vanB was detected, vanC1 and vanC2/3 were completely detectable. Therefore, we concluded that the regional spread of VRE with vanA and vanB had not occurred in Kitakyushu in 2002. In the near future, the prevalence of VRE with vanA or vanB is likely to increase in Japan, as it has in other countries. We should continue to find and prevent nosocomial outbreaks of infection and colonization by VRE.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2006

Isolation and identification of enterococci from seawater samples: assessment of their resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals.

A hundred Enterococcus strains were isolated from seawater samples collected from coastal areas of Istanbul. Isolates were identified to the species level using standard biochemical tests specified by Facklam and Collins. The species distribution was as follows Enterococcus faecalis (96%), Enterococcus gallinarum (3%) and Enterococcus solitarius (1%). The resistance of bacteria to both heavy metals (zinc [Zn], iron [Fe], cadmium [Cd], chrome [Cr], cobalt [Co]) and antibiotics (ampicillin 10 microg [AP], penicillin G 10 Units [PG], gentamycin 10 microg [GM], streptomycin 10 microg [S], chloramphenicol 10 microg [C], erythromycin 15 microg [E], kanamycin 30 microg [K], amikacin 30 microg [AK], nalidixic acid 30 microg [NA], and vancomycin 30 microg [VA]) was evaluated. None of the strains was resistant to VA. It was found that among the 100 isolates, those that exhibit resistance to antibiotics, particularly NA, S and K, were also resistant all the heavy metals tested. To our knowledge this is the first report focusing on determination of resistance of environmental enterococci found in Istanbul against heavy metals and antibiotics. Thus, combined expressions of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance may help to reinforce ecological and epidemiological studies and to determine the role of these strains in antibiotic and heavy metal resistance dissemination.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1999

An Update on the Emergence of Glycopeptide Resistance in Enterococci.

Glycopeptide resistance may be either constitutive or transferable (on plasmids or as a transposon), and four phenotypes (van A, B, C, D) have been described to date. Recent data suggest solid media screening protocols appear to be insensitive at detecting low levels of carriage, and up to 40% of colonized patients may be falsely glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE) negative. Managing GRE-colonized or -infected patients using contact precautions appears to be useful in controlling clonal outbreaks, but may be of limited utility once GRE is endemic. Alternate strategies to manage GRE-colonized patients with prolonged carriage and in outpatient or home health settings include using risk-based transmission assessment to limit the logistic and psychosocial difficulties associated with the use of continuous contact precautions. The therapeutic options for treating GRE infection remain limited. Attempts to decolonize GRE-colonized patients with bacitracin appear to be of limited utility.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Mechanisms and implications of glycopeptide resistance in enterococci.

Glycopeptide resistance is recent in enterococci and its expression is inducible by glycopeptides. Two phenotypes can be distinguished: (a) resistance to high levels of vancomycin and teicoplanin, and (b) resistance to low levels of vancomycin only. There is no cross-resistance between glycopeptides, glycolipodepsipeptides (ramoplanin), and lipopeptides (daptomycin). The determinants conferring low-level resistance are nontransferable and presumably chromosomal. High-level resistance is plasmid-mediated and the plasmids range from 34 to 40 kb, are self-transferable, and encode various resistance combinations. All plasmids share the same glycopeptide resistance determinant, which is distinct from that conferring low-level resistance. Induction of resistance is associated with induction of about a 40 kDa protein. We have determined the sequence of the vanA gene encoding one such resistance protein designated VANA. Amino acid sequence similarity was detected between VANA and D-Ala: D-Ala ligases from Enterobacteriaceae. Complementation analysis in Escherichia coli indicated that VANA possesses D-Ala: D-Ala ligase activity and is therefore related to enzymes that catalyze synthesis of glycopeptide target, i.e., terminal D-Ala-D-Ala of peptidoglycan precursors. The contribution of VANA to synthesis of peptidoglycan in the presence of glycopeptides is unknown: VANA could bind to D-Ala-D-Ala, preventing the binding of the drugs; could modify the target of the drug; and could be a ligase with novel specificity.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of resuscitation and the incubation-temperature on recovery of uninjured, heat injured and freeze injured enterococci.

Five strains of enterococci were inoculated on the Slanetz and Bartley enterococcus agar (EA), and incubated at 37 degrees C and 44 degrees C following: no injury, heat-injury and freeze-injury. The experiments were repeated introducing a 2 h resuscitation step in Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) at 37 degrees C and subsequent overlay with EA (TSA/EA) followed by incubation at both 37 degrees C and 44 degrees C. The TSA/EA method gave a significantly better recovery (1% confidence level) than the EA method at both 37 degrees C and 44 degrees C. The effect of incubation-temperature was only significant for two strains of Enterococcus durans, as one strain showed no growth at 44 degrees C and the other strain was recovered significantly (5% confidence level) better at 37 degrees C that at 44 degrees C when employing the EA method. Interpretation of the results using TSA/EA method was easier than that of the EA. Different lactic streptococci and lactobacilli commonly employed in the dairy industry did not develop false positive colonies in TSA/EA incubated at 37 degrees C.

Culture Media↗
PubMed1986

Activity of teicoplanin compared with vancomycin alone, and combined with gentamicin, against penicillin tolerant viridans streptococci and enterococci causing endocarditis.

Teicoplanin had greater inhibitory activity than vancomycin against most of 22 penicillin tolerant strains of streptococci, but both drugs failed to kill 99.9% of the inoculum when tested alone at concentrations less than 16mg 1(-1). Bactericidal synergy between teicoplanin combined with gentamicin and vancomycin combined with gentamicin was always demonstrated in further tests with 16 penicillin tolerant strains. Teicoplanin had greater bactericidal activity than vancomycin against five of seven strains of viridans streptococci and five of nine strains of enterococci in MBC experiments, where each drug was combined with gentamicin. Killing curve experiments with five penicillin tolerant streptococci showed teicoplanin and vancomycin to have similar bactericidal activity within 24 h when tested at 5 mg 1(-1) with 2 mg 1(-1) gentamicin. However, at 0.5 mg 1(-1) only teicoplanin had a bactericidal synergic effect with gentamicin.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1990

Comparison of vancomycin-inducible proteins from four strains of Enterococci.

Vancomycin-inducible proteins of 39.5 and 39 kDa from respectively, low-level and high-level resistant Enterococci were compared. Electrophoretic, immunoblot and peptide analysis revealed three types of protein, one in a low-level resistant strain of E. faecium, one in 2 high-level-resistant strains of E. faecium, and one in a high-level resistant strain of E. faecalis. The inducible proteins of E. faecium and E. faecalis, of 39.5 and 39 kDa respectively, which may function in a similar fashion (Al-Obeid et al. (1990) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34, 252-256), are not related immunologically.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1991

Differentiation of enterococci from other group D streptococci by means of a specific monoclonal antibody.

We report on the specificity of a monoclonal antibody which reacts with autoclaved extracts of four species of enterococci but does not react to the same extent with similar extracts from two non-enterococcal group D streptococci. The monoclonal antibody also reacts specifically with purified lipoteichoic acid from Streptococcus faecalis but not significantly with purified lipoteichoic acid from the non-enterococcal species Streptococcus bovis and Streptococcus equinus. The specific antigen detected with this antibody could correlate with the definition of the enterococcus subgroup of the streptococci which would provide further evidence that this sub-group is taxonomically distinct from the other group D streptococci.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of the Strep-A-Chek technique for presumptive identification of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci and group D enterococci.

Strep-A-Check (E-Y Laboratories, San Mateo, CA) is a 15-min chromogenic test for a species-specific aminopeptidase that could replace testing bacitracin susceptibility for presumptive identification of group A streptococci as well as 6.5% NaCl agar tolerance for presumptive identification of enterococcal streptococci, with a time savings of 24 hr. Recent clinical streptococcal isolates (n = 341), identified by conventional biochemical and serologic techniques, were used to evaluate the 15-min Strep-A-Chek test. Among the beta-hemolytic streptococci (176 group A, 43 group B, 8 group C, 9 group F, and 9 group G), Strep-A-Chek was 100% accurate. Among the non-beta-hemolytic streptococci, 100% of 52 group D enterococci, 100% of 30 viridans streptococci, and 100% of 14 group D nonenterococci were correctly identified by Strep-A-Chek. Strep-A-Chek is an extremely rapid and reliable test for presumptive identification of group A and enterococcal streptococci.

Aminopeptidases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro activity of ampicillin/sulbactam against enterococci determined by the time-kill method.

Time-kill studies demonstrated that at clinically achievable serum concentrations, ampicillin/sulbactam was equivalent in activity to ampicillin alone against non-beta-lactamase producing isolates of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Sulbactam possessed no antibacterial activity against these organisms. It is not yet known if the activity of ampicillin will be increased with the addition of sulbactam when tested against beta-lactamase-producing enterococci.

Ampicillin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro activity of sparfloxacin and clinafloxacin against multidrug-resistant enterococci.

We evaluated the in vitro susceptibility of 140 clinical enterococcal isolates to the quinolones sparfloxacin and clinafloxacin. Isolates included Enterococcus faecalis (107), Enterococcus faecium (29), Enterococcus raffinosus (3), and one Enterococcus gallinarum. There were 111 isolates that showed high-level [minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) > or = 2000 micrograms/ml] resistance to gentamicin and were resistant to high levels of all other aminoglycosides; five isolates produced beta-lactamase; 21 isolates were resistant (MIC > or = 16 micrograms/ml) to ampicillin and were not beta-lactamase producers; and 13 strains were resistant (MIC > or = 32 micrograms/ml) to vancomycin. Most strains were susceptible to low concentrations of sparfloxacin and clinafloxacin, with MIC90S of 0.6 microgram/ml and 0.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. There were no inoculum effects. Time-kill experiments were performed with 22 strains; using 2 x MIC at 24 h, a > or = 2 log10 reduction in growth was observed with sparfloxacin and clinafloxacin for 14 and 17 strains, respectively. Time-kill synergism experiments were performed with 15 strains lacking high-level aminoglycoside resistance. In vitro bacterial synergism with the combination of sparfloxacin or clinafloxacin with streptomycin or gentamicin was observed for five and 12 isolates, respectively. The bactericidal activity of sparfloxacin and clinafloxacin suggest that these antibiotics may prove useful for therapy of multidrug resistant enterococci.

Anti-Infective Agents↗
PubMed1993

In vitro activity of nine fluoroquinolone antibiotics against 200 strains of enterococci.

The in vitro activity of nine fluoroquinolones against 200 recent clinical isolates of enterococci was evaluated. The relative activity was WIN57273 > sparfloxacin > ciprofloxacin, temafloxacin > ofloxacin > fleroxacin, lomefloxacin, norfloxacin > enoxacin. Susceptibility to gentamicin or streptomycin did not influence the activity of the fluoroquinolones.

Anti-Infective Agents↗
PubMed1995

In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci.

The results of susceptibility testing of 48 phenotyped strains of glycopeptide antibiotic-resistant enterococci are reported. Minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MICs and MBCs) were determined for 27 vanA, 17 vanB, and 4 vanC strains. Antibiotics exhibiting the greatest activity included novobiocin (MIC90 = 8 micrograms/ml and MBC90 = 32 micrograms/ml), ramoplanin (MIC90 = 2 micrograms/ml and MBC90 = 4 micrograms/ml), and the streptogramin RP59500 (MIC90 = 4 micrograms/ml and MBC90 = 32 micrograms/ml). These antibiotics warrant further investigation as potentially useful agents, either alone or in combination, for treating enterococcal infections.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗