• Rivera, Antonio

Abstract

<jats:p><jats:bold>Introduction.</jats:bold> Acquired resistance against the antibiotics that are active against <jats:italic><jats:named-content content-type="genus"><jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://doi.org/10.1601/nm.4745" xlink:type="simple">Ureaplasma</jats:ext-link></jats:named-content></jats:italic> species has been described.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Hypothesis/Gap Statement.</jats:bold> Diagnostics combined with antimicrobial sensitivity testing are required for therapeutic guidance.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Aim.</jats:bold> To report the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among Cuban <jats:italic><jats:named-content content-type="genus"><jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://doi.org/10.1601/nm.4745" xlink:type="simple">Ureaplasma</jats:ext-link></jats:named-content></jats:italic> isolates and the related molecular mechanisms of resistance.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methodology.</jats:bold> Traditional broth microdilution assays were used for antimicrobial sensitivity testing in 262 clinical <jats:italic><jats:named-content content-type="genus"><jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://doi.org/10.1601/nm.4745" xlink:type="simple">Ureaplasma</jats:ext-link></jats:named-content></jats:italic> species isolates from Cuban patients between 2013 and 2018, and a subset of samples were investigated in parallel with the commercial MYCO WELL D-ONE rapid culture diagnostic assay. The underlying molecular mechanisms for resistance were determined by PCR and sequencing for all resistant isolates.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results.</jats:bold> Among the tested isolates, the tetracycline and erythromycin resistance rates were 1.9 and 1.5%, respectively, while fluoroquinolone resistance was not found. The <jats:italic>tet</jats:italic>(M) gene was found in all tetracycline-resistant isolates, but also in two tetracycline-susceptible <jats:italic>Ureaplasma c</jats:italic>linical isolates. We were unable to determine the underlying mechanism of erythromycin resistance. The MYCO WELL D-ONE kit overestimated tetracycline and erythromycin resistance in <jats:italic><jats:named-content content-type="genus"><jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://doi.org/10.1601/nm.4745" xlink:type="simple">Ureaplasma</jats:ext-link></jats:named-content></jats:italic> spp. isolates.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusions.</jats:bold> Although low levels of antibiotic resistance were detected in Cuban patients over a 5-year period, continued surveillance of the antibiotic susceptibility of <jats:italic><jats:named-content content-type="genus"><jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://doi.org/10.1601/nm.4745" xlink:type="simple">Ureaplasma</jats:ext-link></jats:named-content></jats:italic> is necessary to monitor possible changes in resistance patterns.</jats:p>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• susceptibility