Molecular characteristics of serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates among community-acquired pneumonia patients in Japan

J Infect Chemother. 2008 Jun;14(3):258-61. doi: 10.1007/s10156-008-0600-9. Epub 2008 Jun 24.

Abstract

In order to understand the spread of the erythromycin-resistant serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae clone in Japan, we have assessed the molecular characteristics of this clone. Among 156 S. pneumoniae isolates recovered from adults with community-acquired pneumonia between 2003 and 2005, 42 were serotype 3 and 40 were sequence type (ST) 180/Netherlands(3)-31 by multilocus sequence typing. Thirty-eight of the 40 ST 180 isolates had acquired resistance to erythromycin via the ermB gene. Although the ermB-positive ST180 clone isolates were more susceptible to penicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole than ermB-positive non-ST180 isolates and contained a less mutated pbp1a or pbp2b gene, without a mefA gene, the ST180 clone was highly prevalent among ermB-positive isolates. Routine surveillance for the ST180 S. pneumoniae clone may soon become necessary.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bacterial Proteins / classification
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Community-Acquired Infections / epidemiology
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Japan / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Methyltransferases / classification
  • Methyltransferases / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Phenotype
  • Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / epidemiology
  • Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / microbiology*
  • Serotyping / methods
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / classification
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / drug effects
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / genetics*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Methyltransferases
  • ErmA protein, Bacteria