Are New β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations Promising Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>K. pneumoniae</i> Isolates?

Background/Objectives: Carbapenem-resistant <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (CRKP) infections present a significant clinical challenge due to limited therapeutic options and high transmission potential. This study aimed to identify the resistance genes associated with carbapenemase producti...

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Main Authors: Ayşe Nur Ceylan, Selda Kömeç, Kamuran Şanlı, Beyza Öncel, Mehmet Akif Durmuş, Abdurrahman Gülmez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Pathogens
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/3/220
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author Ayşe Nur Ceylan
Selda Kömeç
Kamuran Şanlı
Beyza Öncel
Mehmet Akif Durmuş
Abdurrahman Gülmez
author_facet Ayşe Nur Ceylan
Selda Kömeç
Kamuran Şanlı
Beyza Öncel
Mehmet Akif Durmuş
Abdurrahman Gülmez
author_sort Ayşe Nur Ceylan
collection DOAJ
description Background/Objectives: Carbapenem-resistant <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (CRKP) infections present a significant clinical challenge due to limited therapeutic options and high transmission potential. This study aimed to identify the resistance genes associated with carbapenemase production in CRKP isolates and evaluate the in vitro activity of ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA) and meropenem/vaborbactam (MEV), among other β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations. Methods: Between October 2021 and June 2022, a total of 504 CRKP isolates were grown from patient samples in intensive care units. When duplicate patient samples were removed, the remaining 89 isolates were included in the study. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were per-formed using MALDI-TOF, Phoenix M50, and disk diffusion methods, following EUCAST guidelines. PCR analyses identified carbapenemase genes such as OXA-48, NDM, and KPC. Results: The most prevalent carbapenemase gene was OXA-48 (79.8%), followed by NDM (21.4%) and KPC (17.9%). The susceptibility rate to CZA was 82.0%, significantly higher than MEV (10.1%). All isolates were resistant to piperacillin/tazobactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam. Among MEV-resistant isolates, most carried the OXA-48 gene, while NDM was common in CZA-resistant isolates. Conclusions: CZA demonstrates high efficacy against OXA-48-producing CRKP, making it a viable treatment option in settings where OXA-48 predominates. The limited activity of MEV in this study underscores the need for molecular surveillance of resistance mechanisms to guide empirical therapy.
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spelling doaj-art-994baa52844d4dc8bf0ec08242bf2ba02025-08-20T01:48:57ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-02-0114322010.3390/pathogens14030220Are New β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations Promising Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>K. pneumoniae</i> Isolates?Ayşe Nur Ceylan0Selda Kömeç1Kamuran Şanlı2Beyza Öncel3Mehmet Akif Durmuş4Abdurrahman Gülmez5Department of Medical Microbiology, Basaksehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, University of Health Science, Istanbul 34480, TürkiyeDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Basaksehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, University of Health Science, Istanbul 34480, TürkiyeDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Basaksehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, University of Health Science, Istanbul 34480, TürkiyeDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Basaksehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, University of Health Science, Istanbul 34480, TürkiyeDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Basaksehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, University of Health Science, Istanbul 34480, TürkiyeMedical Microbiology Laboratory, Aydın Ataturk State Hospital, Aydın 09020, TürkiyeBackground/Objectives: Carbapenem-resistant <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (CRKP) infections present a significant clinical challenge due to limited therapeutic options and high transmission potential. This study aimed to identify the resistance genes associated with carbapenemase production in CRKP isolates and evaluate the in vitro activity of ceftazidime/avibactam (CZA) and meropenem/vaborbactam (MEV), among other β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations. Methods: Between October 2021 and June 2022, a total of 504 CRKP isolates were grown from patient samples in intensive care units. When duplicate patient samples were removed, the remaining 89 isolates were included in the study. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were per-formed using MALDI-TOF, Phoenix M50, and disk diffusion methods, following EUCAST guidelines. PCR analyses identified carbapenemase genes such as OXA-48, NDM, and KPC. Results: The most prevalent carbapenemase gene was OXA-48 (79.8%), followed by NDM (21.4%) and KPC (17.9%). The susceptibility rate to CZA was 82.0%, significantly higher than MEV (10.1%). All isolates were resistant to piperacillin/tazobactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam. Among MEV-resistant isolates, most carried the OXA-48 gene, while NDM was common in CZA-resistant isolates. Conclusions: CZA demonstrates high efficacy against OXA-48-producing CRKP, making it a viable treatment option in settings where OXA-48 predominates. The limited activity of MEV in this study underscores the need for molecular surveillance of resistance mechanisms to guide empirical therapy.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/3/220carbapenem-resistant <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>ceftazidime/avibactammeropenem/vaborbactamOXA-48NDMKPC
spellingShingle Ayşe Nur Ceylan
Selda Kömeç
Kamuran Şanlı
Beyza Öncel
Mehmet Akif Durmuş
Abdurrahman Gülmez
Are New β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations Promising Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>K. pneumoniae</i> Isolates?
Pathogens
carbapenem-resistant <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>
ceftazidime/avibactam
meropenem/vaborbactam
OXA-48
NDM
KPC
title Are New β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations Promising Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>K. pneumoniae</i> Isolates?
title_full Are New β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations Promising Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>K. pneumoniae</i> Isolates?
title_fullStr Are New β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations Promising Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>K. pneumoniae</i> Isolates?
title_full_unstemmed Are New β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations Promising Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>K. pneumoniae</i> Isolates?
title_short Are New β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations Promising Against Carbapenem-Resistant <i>K. pneumoniae</i> Isolates?
title_sort are new β lactam β lactamase inhibitor combinations promising against carbapenem resistant i k pneumoniae i isolates
topic carbapenem-resistant <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>
ceftazidime/avibactam
meropenem/vaborbactam
OXA-48
NDM
KPC
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/3/220
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