Biofilm formation by multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from solid organ transplant recipients

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 9; no. 1; p. 8928
• Main Authors: Ramos-Vivas, José, Chapartegui-González, Itziar, Fernández-Martínez, Marta, González-Rico, Claudia, Fortún, Jesús, Escudero, Rosa, Marco, Francesc, Linares, Laura, Montejo, Miguel, Aranzamendi, Maitane, Muñoz, Patricia, Valerio, Maricela, Aguado, Jose María, Resino, Elena, Ahufinger, Irene Gracia, Vega, Aurora Paz, Martínez-Martínez, Luis, Fariñas, María Carmen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.06.2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 14/34; 631/326/107; 692/308; 96/63; Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Biofilms; Colonization; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial - genetics; E coli; Enterobacter; Enterobacteriaceae - drug effects; Enterobacteriaceae - isolation & purification; Escherichia coli; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Infections; Intestine; Kidney transplantation; Kidneys; Klebsiella pneumoniae; multidisciplinary; Multidrug resistance; Multidrug resistant organisms; Organ Transplantation; Pancreas transplantation; Rectum; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Strains (organisms); Transplants & implants
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45060-y

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are especially at risk of developing infections by multidrug resistant bacteria (MDR). In this study, the biofilm-forming capability of 209 MDR strains ( Escherichia coli n = 106, Klebsiella pneumoniae n = 78, and Enterobacter spp. n = 25) isolated from rectal swabs in the first 48 hours before or after kidney (93 patients), liver (60 patients) or kidney/pancreas transplants (5 patients) were evaluated by using a microplate assay. Thirty-nine strains were isolated before transplant and 170 strains were isolated post-transplant. Overall, 16% of E. coli strains, 73% of K. pneumoniae strains and 4% Enterobacter strains showed moderate or strong biofilm production. Nine strains isolated from infection sites after transplantation were responsible of infections in the first month. Of these, 4 K. pneumoniae , 1 E. coli and 1 Enterobacter spp. strains isolated pre-transplant or post-transplant as colonizers caused infections in the post-transplant period. Our results suggest that in vitro biofilm formation could be an important factor for adhesion to intestine and colonization in MDR K. pneumoniae strains in SOT recipients, but this factor appears to be less important for MDR E. coli and Enterobacter spp.