Identification of multi-drug resistant <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>clinical isolates that are highly disruptive to the intestinal epithelial barrier

• Main Authors: Shevchenko Olga, Bethel Cindy, Wang Yingmin, Kohler Jonathan E, Zaborina Olga, Wu Licheng, Turner Jerrold R, Alverdy John C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2006-06-01
• Series: Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials
• Online Access: http://www.ann-clinmicrob.com/content/5/1/14

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Multi-drug resistant <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>nosocomial infections are increasingly recognized worldwide. In this study, we focused on the virulence of multi-drug resistant clinical strains <it>P. aeruginosa </it>against the intestinal epithelial barrier, since <it>P. aeruginosa </it>can cause lethal sepsis from within the intestinal tract of critically ill and immuno-compromised patients via mechanisms involving disruption of epithelial barrier function.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We screened consecutively isolated multi-drug resistant <it>P. aeruginosa </it>clinical strains for their ability to disrupt the integrity of human cultured intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2) and correlated these finding to related virulence phenotypes such as adhesiveness, motility, biofilm formation, and cytotoxicity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Results demonstrated that the majority of the multi-drug resistant <it>P. aeruginosa </it>clinical strains were attenuated in their ability to disrupt the barrier function of cultured intestinal epithelial cells. Three distinct genotypes were found that displayed an extreme epithelial barrier-disrupting phenotype. These strains were characterized and found to harbor the <it>exoU </it>gene and to display high swimming motility and adhesiveness.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data suggest that detailed phenotypic analysis of the behavior of multi-drug resistant <it>P. aeruginosa </it>against the intestinal epithelium has the potential to identify strains most likely to place patients at risk for lethal gut-derived sepsis. Surveillance of colonizing strains of <it>P. aeruginosa </it>in critically ill patients beyond antibiotic sensitivity is warranted.</p>