The Effects of Photodynamic Therapy for Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the photosensitizer photogem with light-emitting diode (LED) on vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Two VRE strains isolated from the feces of patients. that was identificated Enterococcus faecium (vanA) and Enterococcus gallinarum (vanC1) using traditional biochemical tests and confirmed VRE genotyping from using polymerase chain reaction. In addition, three strains were used Enterococcus. faecalis CDC-286 (vanA), E. faecalis CDC-583 (vanB) and E. gallinarum CDC-42 (vanC1). To examine the antimicrobial effect of photogem mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) against, CFU quantification and Disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility test were evaluated. The effects of Photodynamic therapy was not associated with genotype. Photogem mediated PDT perfectly inhibited the colony formation of E. faecalis CDC-286. The number of viable bacteria decreased greatly after PDT application with photogem $50{\mu}g/mL$ and energy density of $15J/cm^2$. The diameter of inhibition zone was increased to after PDT more than before PDT. The case of vancomycin disc on E. faecalis CDC-583 and E. galinanum-Patient were changed from resistant to intermediate resistant, from intermediate resistant to susceptable. These results demonstrate that lethal photosensitization of VRE can be achieved using photogem plus 630 nm LED irradiation.