Gu Bing, Pan Shiyang, Wang Tong, Zhao Wenjun, Mei Yaning, Huang Peijun, Tong Mingqing
Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2008 Dec;32(6):529-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2008.06.019. Epub 2008 Sep 7.
One hundred and forty-two Enterobacteriaceae isolates randomly selected from four general hospitals in Nanjing region of China were investigated for antibiotic susceptibility, the presence of integrons and the characterisation of gene cassettes. Eighty-five (59.9%) Enterobacteriaceae strains contained class 1 integrons, and 17 (65.4%) of 26 Shigella contained class 2 integrons. Class 3 integrons were not detected in this study. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequencing analysis revealed seven different cassette arrays of class 1 integrons; additionally, four cassette arrays identified in this study were reported for the first time in some species. The genes most commonly found in these class 1 integrons were those for aminoglycoside and trimethoprim resistance. In conclusion, class 1 and 2 integrons were widespread in Enterobacteriaceae and Shigella, respectively, in Nanjing area of China and it was likely that integrons played an important role in antibiotic resistance. Characterisation of cassette arrays of integrons could be a useful epidemiological tool to study the evolution of multidrug resistance and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes.
从中国南京地区四家综合医院随机选取142株肠杆菌科细菌，对其进行抗生素敏感性、整合子存在情况及基因盒特征分析。85株（59.9%）肠杆菌科菌株含有1类整合子，26株志贺菌中有17株（65.4%）含有2类整合子。本研究未检测到3类整合子。限制性片段长度多态性（RFLP）和DNA测序分析揭示了1类整合子的7种不同基因盒阵列；此外，本研究中鉴定出的4种基因盒阵列在某些菌种中属首次报道。这些1类整合子中最常见的基因是氨基糖苷类和甲氧苄啶耐药基因。总之，1类和2类整合子分别在中国南京地区的肠杆菌科细菌和志贺菌中广泛存在，整合子可能在抗生素耐药性中发挥重要作用。整合子基因盒阵列特征分析可能是研究多重耐药性演变和抗生素耐药基因传播的有用流行病学工具。
