• Jing-Jou Yan, Po-Ren Hsueh, Jang-Jih Lu, Feng-Yee Chang, Wen-Chien Ko, and Jiunn-Jong Wu.
• Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
• J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 2006 Sep 1; 58 (3): 530-6.

ObjectivesThe present study was conducted to investigate acquired beta-lactamases and their genetic support in 26 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates that were resistant to nearly all antipseudomonal drugs from six medical centres in Taiwan.MethodsAcquired beta-lactamases and their genetic support were determined by PCR-based strategies.ResultsFour and 16 of the 26 isolates were found to produce VIM-2 and VIM-3 metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs), respectively, and 1, 1 and 2 isolates produced OXA-17, OXA-10 and PSE-1, respectively. These bla genes are all in class 1 integrons that are probably chromosomally located. The bla(VIM-3)-containing integron, with a deletion between int1 and the bla(VIM-3) structural gene, has six gene cassettes, bla(VIM-3), a probable fosfomycin resistance determinant, aacA4, aacA4, aadB and aacA4. The bla(VIM-2)-containing integron, without detectable 5'-conserved segment, contains four genes cassettes (aacA7-bla(VIM-2)-dhfr-aacA5) and is ended by tniC. The bla(OXA-10)-containing integron includes a catB3 cassette and a fused gene cassette, which is made up of bla(OXA-17) and a novel streptomycin-spectinomycin gene, designated aadA15. The bla(OXA-17)-containing integron has three gene cassettes (aacA4-catB2-bla(OXA-17)) but the 59-base element of the bla(OXA-17) cassette is interrupted by a putative transposase gene. The bla(PSE-1)-containing integron has three gene cassettes, aacA4, an aadA3-related gene designated aadA3b and bla(PSE-1). PFGE revealed genetic diversity among the multidrug-resistant isolates from different hospitals.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated the high prevalence of VIM-type MBLs and the presence of unusual bla-encoding integrons in multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates in Taiwan. The spread of bla(VIM-2)-related genes by horizontal transfer might have occurred.

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