CTX-M-type ESBL-mediated resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and conjugative transfer of resistance in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from hospitals in Tamil Nadu, India

Clinical pathogens, especially Gram-negative bacteria developing resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, are making clinical outcomes more complicated and serious. This study was undertaken to evaluate the distribution of CTX-M-type extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) in Tamil Nadu, India. For this study, clinical samples were collected from five different hospitals located in Tamil Nadu and the ESBL-producing Gram-negative isolates were characterized. MIC was performed using cefotaxime and ceftazidime. The bla (ESBL)-producing genes were screened using multiplex PCR for the genes, CTX-M group-1, -2, -8, -9, -26. The conjugation studies were performed using Escherichia coli AB1157 as a recipient for the isolates harbouring plasmid-borne resistance following broth-mating experiment. In total, 1500 samples were collected and 599 Gram-negative bacteria were isolated that included E. coli (n=233), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=182), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=79), Citrobacter spp. (n=30), Proteus mirabilis (n=28), Salmonella spp. (n=21), Acinetobacter baumannii (n=12), Serratia spp. (n=6), Shigella spp. (n=4), Morganella morganii (n=3) and Providencia spp. (n=1). MIC results showed that 358 isolates were resistant to cefotaxime and ceftazidime. Further, ESBL gene-amplification results showed that 19 isolates had CTX-M group-1 gene including E. coli (n=16), K. pneumoniae (n=2) and P. aeruginosa (n=1) whereas one M. morganii isolate had CTX-M group-9, which was plasmid-borne. Through conjugation studies, 12/20 isolates were found to be involved in the transformation of its plasmid-borne resistance gene. Our study highlighted the importance of horizontal gene transfer in the dissemination of plasmid-borne bla (CTX-M-type) resistance genes among the clinical isolates.