Infection and Drug Resistance (Aug 2022)

Intestinal Colonization with Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Acute Leukemia Patients: Risk Factors and Molecular Characteristics

  • Zhu R,
  • Xu X,
  • Lian S,
  • Cai M,
  • Zhang H,
  • Chen X,
  • Cao Y

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 4275 – 4283

Abstract

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Rongping Zhu,1,* Xiaohong Xu,1,* Siyan Lian,1 Meili Cai,1 Hui Zhang,2 Xin Chen,2 Yingping Cao1 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, People’s Republic of China; 2Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yingping Cao, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13365910806, Email [email protected]: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) colonization is associated with bacterial translocation, which can result in subsequent endogenous CRE infection. In the present study, we aim to investigate the colonization-related risk factors and molecular epidemiological characteristics of CRE in patients with acute leukemia.Methods: From January 2021 to December 2021, acute leukemia patients were screened for CRE by fecal/perianal swabs. We identified the species, carbapenemase-encoding genes, and virulence genes of the colonizing strains and performed antimicrobial susceptibility tests and ERIC-PCR typing. Risk factors for CRE colonization were identified by univariate and multivariate analysis.Results: We collected a total of 21 colonizing strains from 320 patients. All strains were resistant to meropenem. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most abundant species, and ERIC-PCR typing showed low diversity. Univariate analysis showed that age, cephalosporins, penicillins, tigecyclines, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation status were risk factors for CRE colonization; simultaneously discovered CRE strains played a dominant role in invasive infection of colonized patients. Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that age, cephalosporins, and tigecyclines were independent risk factors for CRE intestinal colonization.Conclusion: CRE colonization can increase the incidence of CRE infection in patients with acute leukemia. Early detection of CRE colonization through CRE screening is an important measure to control the spread of CRE.Keywords: carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, acute leukemia, risk factors, colonization

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