Skip to main content
PMC home page
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy logoLink to Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
. 1989 Sep;33(9):1588–1591. doi: 10.1128/aac.33.9.1588

In vitro susceptibility studies of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis.

D F Sahm 1, J Kissinger 1, M S Gilmore 1, P R Murray 1, R Mulder 1, J Solliday 1, B Clarke 1
PMCID: PMC172707  PMID: 2554802

Abstract

Vancomycin resistance exhibited by Enterococcus faecalis isolates V583, V586, and V587 is described. The vancomycin MICs ranged from 32 to 64 micrograms/ml. Although resistant to vancomycin, the isolates were susceptible to teicoplanin (MIC, less than or equal to 0.5 micrograms/ml). Such a glycopeptide susceptibility profile has not been previously described for E. faecalis. Time kill studies showed that vancomycin resistance adversely affected the synergistic activity that vancomycin and aminoglycoside combinations usually demonstrate against enterococci. However, the ability to detect vancomycin resistance varied with the susceptibility testing method used. Whereas broth microdilution, broth macrodilution, and agar dilution methods detected resistance, disk-agar diffusion and the AutoMicrobic system Gram-Positive GPS-A susceptibility card (Vitek Systems Inc., Hazelwood, Mo.) did not. To detect vancomycin resistance reliably and establish the incidence of such E. faecalis isolates, adjustments in some susceptibility testing methods may be necessary.

Full text

PDF
1588

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barry A. L., Thornsberry C., Jones R. N. Evaluation of teicoplanin and vancomycin disk susceptibility tests. J Clin Microbiol. 1986 Jan;23(1):100–103. doi: 10.1128/jcm.23.1.100-103.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Eliopoulos G. M., Thauvin C., Gerson B., Moellering R. C., Jr In vitro activity and mechanism of action of A21978C1, a novel cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1985 Mar;27(3):357–362. doi: 10.1128/aac.27.3.357. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Facklam R. R., Collins M. D. Identification of Enterococcus species isolated from human infections by a conventional test scheme. J Clin Microbiol. 1989 Apr;27(4):731–734. doi: 10.1128/jcm.27.4.731-734.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Facklam R., Hollis D., Collins M. D. Identification of gram-positive coccal and coccobacillary vancomycin-resistant bacteria. J Clin Microbiol. 1989 Apr;27(4):724–730. doi: 10.1128/jcm.27.4.724-730.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Faruki H., Niles A. C., Heeren R. L., Murray P. R. Effect of calcium on in vitro activity of LY146032 against Clostridium difficile. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1987 Mar;31(3):461–462. doi: 10.1128/aac.31.3.461. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fass R. J., Helsel V. L. In vitro activity of LY146032 against staphylococci, streptococci, and enterococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1986 Nov;30(5):781–784. doi: 10.1128/aac.30.5.781. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Harwick H. J., Kalmanson G. M., Guze L. B. In vitro activity of ampicillin or vancomycin combined with gentamicin or streptomycin against enterococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1973 Oct;4(4):383–387. doi: 10.1128/aac.4.4.383. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kaplan A. H., Gilligan P. H., Facklam R. R. Recovery of resistant enterococci during vancomycin prophylaxis. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Jun;26(6):1216–1218. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.6.1216-1218.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Leclercq R., Derlot E., Duval J., Courvalin P. Plasmid-mediated resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin in Enterococcus faecium. N Engl J Med. 1988 Jul 21;319(3):157–161. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198807213190307. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Leclercq R., Derlot E., Weber M., Duval J., Courvalin P. Transferable vancomycin and teicoplanin resistance in Enterococcus faecium. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1989 Jan;33(1):10–15. doi: 10.1128/aac.33.1.10. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Moellering R. C., Jr, Wennersten C., Weinberg A. N. Synergy of penicillin and gentamicin against Enterococci. J Infect Dis. 1971 Dec;124 (Suppl):S207–S209. doi: 10.1093/infdis/124.supplement_1.s207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Parenti F., Beretta G., Berti M., Arioli V. Teichomycins, new antibiotics from Actinoplanes teichomyceticus Nov. Sp. I. Description of the producer strain, fermentation studies and biological properties. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 1978 Apr;31(4):276–283. doi: 10.7164/antibiotics.31.276. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Sahm D. F., Torres C. Effects of medium and inoculum variations on screening for high-level aminoglycoside resistance in Enterococcus faecalis. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Feb;26(2):250–256. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.2.250-256.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sahm D. F., Torres C. High-content aminoglycoside disks for determining aminoglycoside-penicillin synergy against Enterococcus faecalis. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 Feb;26(2):257–260. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.2.257-260.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Shlaes D. M., Bouvet A., Devine C., Shlaes J. H., al-Obeid S., Williamson R. Inducible, transferable resistance to vancomycin in Enterococcus faecalis A256. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1989 Feb;33(2):198–203. doi: 10.1128/aac.33.2.198. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Stratton C. W., Liu C., Ratner H. B., Weeks L. S. Bactericidal activity of deptomycin (LY146032) compared with those of ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, and ampicillin against enterococci as determined by kill-kinetic studies. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1987 Jul;31(7):1014–1016. doi: 10.1128/aac.31.7.1014. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Toala P., McDonald A., Wilcox C., Finland M. Susceptibility of group D streptococcus (enterococcus) to 21 antibiotics in vitro, with special reference to species differences. Am J Med Sci. 1969 Dec;258(6):416–430. doi: 10.1097/00000441-196912000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Uttley A. H., Collins C. H., Naidoo J., George R. C. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Lancet. 1988 Jan 2;1(8575-6):57–58. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(88)91037-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wanger A. R., Murray B. E. Activity of LY146032 against Enterococci with and without high-level aminoglycoside resistance, including two penicillinase-producing strains. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1987 Nov;31(11):1779–1781. doi: 10.1128/aac.31.11.1779. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Watanakunakorn C., Bakie C. Synergism of vancomycin-gentamicin and vancomycin-streptomycin against enterococci. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1973 Aug;4(2):120–124. doi: 10.1128/aac.4.2.120. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Westenfelder G. O., Paterson P. Y., Reisberg B. E., Carlson G. M. Vancomycin-streptomycin synergism in enterococcal endocarditis. JAMA. 1973 Jan 1;223(1):37–40. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Zervos M. J., Kauffman C. A., Therasse P. M., Bergman A. G., Mikesell T. S., Schaberg D. R. Nosocomial infection by gentamicin-resistant Streptococcus faecalis. An epidemiologic study. Ann Intern Med. 1987 May;106(5):687–691. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-106-5-687. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES