Small plasmids are involved in amoxicillin-clavulanate resistance in Escherichia coli

• Published in: Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy Vol. 33; no. 4; p. 595
• Main Authors: MARTINEZ, J. L, VICENTE, M. F, DELGADO-IRIBARREN, A, PEREZ-DIAZ, J. C, BAQUERO, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.04.1989
• Subjects: Amoxicillin; Amoxicillin - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Clavulanic Acids; Clavulanic Acids - pharmacology; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - genetics; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plasmids; Research Article; Resistance; Antibiotic; Drug combination; Escherichia coli; R Plasmid; β-»Lactamase; Bacteria; Antibacterial agent; Escherichieae; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0066-4804; 1098-6596
• DOI: 10.1128/AAC.33.4.595-a

The introduction of beta -lactamase inhibitors (clavulanate, sulbactam, or tazobactam) in association with beta-lactam antibiotics is one of the current strategies to overcome bacterial resistance. Unfortunately, beta -lactamases are also "inhibitors" of these new compounds. In Escherichia coli the frequency of amoxicillin-clavulanate-resistant strains (MIC equal to or more than 16/8 mu g/ml) is around 20 to 30% of that of amoxicillin-resistant isolates in certain Madrid hospitals. The authors previously reported that bacterial resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanate in clinical strains of E. coli can result from hyperproduction of plasmid-determined TEM-1 beta -lactamase. The same conclusion was reached about an amoxicillin-clavulanate-resistant E. coli strain from England.