Detection of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance, mcr-1 gene, in Escherichia coli isolated from high-risk patients with acute leukemia in Spain.

BACKGROUND:Bacterial infections in immunocompromised patients are associated with a high mortality and morbidity rate. In this high-risk group, the presence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, particularly bacteria that harbor a transferable antibiotic resistance gene, complicates the management of bacterial infections. In this study, we investigated the presence of the transferable colistin resistance mcr genes in patients with leukemia in Spain. METHODS:217 fecal samples collected in 2013-2015 from 56 patients with acute leukemia and colonized with MDR Enterobacteriaceae strains, were screened on September 2017 for the presence of the colistin resistance mcr genes (mcr-1 to -5) by multiplex PCR. mcr positive strains selected on LBJMR and MacConkey supplemented with colistin (2 μg/ml) media were phenotypically and molecularly characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, minimum inhibitory concentration, multilocus sequence typing and plasmid characterization. RESULTS:Among 217 fecal samples, 5 samples collected from 3 patients were positive for the presence of the mcr-1 colistin-resistance gene. Four Escherichia coli strains were isolated and exhibited resistance to colistin with MIC = 4 μg/ml. Other genes conferring the resistance to β-lactam antibiotics have also been identified in mcr-1 positive strains, including blaTEM-206 and blaTEM-98. Three different sequence types were identified, including ST1196, ST140 and ST10. Plasmid characterization allowed us to detect the mcr-1 colistin resistance gene on conjugative IncP plasmid type. CONCLUSION:To the best of our knowledge, we have identified the mcr-1 gene for the first time in leukemia patients in Spain. In light of these results, strict measures have been implemented to prevent its dissemination.