• BMB Reports
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.881-887
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• 2007

It is a hot clinical issue whether newly approved antimicrobial agents such as daptomycin, linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin (synercid) and tigecycline are active enough to be used for infections caused by vancomycin resistant bacteria. We performed susceptibility tests for mupirocin, which is in widespread clinical use in Korea, and four new antimicrobials, daptomycin, linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin and tigecycline, against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolated from Korean patients in 1998 and 2005 to evaluate and compare the in vitro activity of these antimicrobials. Among these agents, quinupristin/dalfopristin, which is rarely used in hospitals in Korea, showed relatively high resistance to several vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated in 2005. Likewise, daptomycin, linezolid and tigecycline have not yet been in clinical use in Korea. However, our results showed that most of the 2005 VRE isolates were already resistant to linezolid and daptomycin (highest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value >$100{\mu}g$/ml). Compared with the other four antimicrobial agents tested in this study, tigecycline generally showed the greatest activity against VRE. However, four strains of 2005 isolates exhibited resistance against tigecycline (MIC >$12.5{\mu}g$/ml). Almost all VRE were resistant to mupirocin, whereas all E. faecium isolated in 1998 were inhibited at concentrations between $0.8\sim1.6{\mu}g$/ml. In conclusion, resistances to these new antimicrobial agents were exhibited in most of VRE strains even though these new antibiotics have been rarely used in Korean hospitals.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.160-164
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• 2011

The purpose of this investigation was to extract the bioactive agents from Alpinia officinarum Hance. The methanol with ethylacetate extracts alone and combined were examined for their activities against VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci) and pathogenic yeast in vitro. The incidence of infections caused by VRE and other pathogenic microorganisms and the importance of using novel synergistic drug combinations has become important. Previously, we reported the antimicrobial effects of the butanol extract from Lonicera japonica and have evaluated combinations of solvent extracts, with a focus on the MeOH and EtOAc extracts from A. officinarum. In the present study, enhanced inhibitory effects were achieved by employing a combination of the two solvent extracts. The MeOH and EtOAc combination was especially effective against four VRE strains: E. faecalis (K-10-22), E. faecaium (K-11-212), E. faecalis (K-10-57) and E. faecalis (K-10-361) with MIC values of 12.5, 12.5, 6.25 and 25 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Thus, the combination was more effective than other antibiotics such as kanamycin, gentamicin or tetracycline against bacteria including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Micrococcus luteus. In addition, the combination was effective against yeasts such as Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Cryptococcus neoformans.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.246-253
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• 2004

The prevalence, genotype for antibiotic resistance and antibiotic susceptibility of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) were determined. And molecular typings of the Enterococcus faecium isolates were analyzed. Prevalence of VRE in chickens, healthy children and intensive care unit (ICU) patients was 41.6％,7.9％, and 20.4％, respectively. Forty out of 54 isolates from chicken intestines, and 9 out of 11 from ICU patients were identified as Enterococcus faecium. Eleven out of 13 isolates from non-hospitalized young children were E. gallinarium. Twelve strains of E. faecalis were isolated from chicken intestines. The gene for the antibiotic resistance in E. faecium, and E. faecalis was vanA, while that in E. gallinarium was vanC1. E. faecium isolates were resistant to most of antibiotics except ampicillin and gentamicin. Molecular typing of the E. faecium strains obtained by pulse field gel electrophoresis and repetitive sequence-based PCR suggest that VRE transmit horizontally from poultry to humans, especially young children, via the food chains in Korea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.427-430
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• 2014

We developed a novel immunochromatographic assay (ICA) (EZ-Step VanA rapid kit; Dinona, Korea) for the detection of VanA ligase from vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Of eight monoclonal antibodies screened by ELISAs, the VanA ligase ICA constructed with 1H9 plus 3G11 showed the greatest reactivity. The detection limit of the kit was $6.3{\times}10^6$ CFU per test. Of 127 vancomycin-resistant microorganisms, 100 vanA VRE were positive in the VanA ligase ICA, and 27 non-vanA vancomycin-resistant isolates were negative. These results were consistent with those of the PCR analyses. Thus, our ICA is a reliable and easy-to-use immunological assay for detecting VanA-producing VRE in clinical laboratories.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.974-982
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• 2019

Objective: Modern medicine offers no efficient way to clear colonization by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). However, VRE decolonization needs to be cleared as soon as possible to prevent VRE transmission. This study reports six cases in which the duration of vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization was reduced by Bojungikki-tang-gami. Methods: Six inpatients with VRE colonization were administered Bojungikki-tang-gami and continuously followed up with cultures. After three negative stool cultures, the patients were declared cleared of VRE colonization. We recorded the duration of VRE colonization. Results: The duration of VRE colonization in the six patients was a mean of 58 days and a median of 45 days. This was shorter than the duration reported in most previous studies. No side effects were noted. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that Bojungikki-tang-gami might be effective in shortening the duration of VRE colonization.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.213-216
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• 2008

Continentalic acid (CA, (-)-pimara-8(14), 15-diene-19-oic acid) was isolated from the roots of Aralia cordata (Araliaceae) using bioassay-guided fractionation of a crude chloroform extract. The antibacterial activity of CA against Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus gallinarium was estimated by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs). CA exhibited potent activity against standard vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and vancomycin-susceptible enterococci (VSE), with MICs and MBCs values between 4 and $8{\mu}g/mL$ and 4 and $16{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. This compound exhibited potent activity against strains of VRE, which are highly resistant to clinically useful antibiotics. These findings suggest that continentalic acid may be useful in controlling enterococcal infection.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.141-143
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• 2006

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci[VRE] are rare cause of meningitis, occurring in immunocompromised patients, severely ill, hospitalized patient, and patients who have undergone neurosurgical procedures. Resistance to vancomycin has increased in frequency during the past few years. Limited therapeutic options are available for VRE infectionsandtheoptimumtherapy has not been established. We report a case of VRE meningitis that was successfully treated with administration of quinupristin-dalfopristin [Synercid] by both intravenous and intraventricular routes. A brief review of the literature is provided, which indicates that optimal management with Synercid should include daily intraventricular doses of at least 2mg and intravenous 0.5mg/kg every 8 hours. We also review the previously reported cases of VRE meningitis.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.103-112
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• 2003

A multiplex PCR assay, which allows simultaneous detection of vancomycin resistant genotypes and Enterococcus species-specific genes, was developed. Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) from chickens and humans could be detected for vanA, vanB, vanC-1, vanC-2, $ddl_{E.faecium}$ and $ddl_{E.faecalis}$ by multiplex PCR. Eight isolates of VRE from humans (n=11) had $ddl_{E.faecium}$ and vanA, and 3 isolates of the VRE had $ddl_{E.faecium}$ and vanB. One isolate of VRE from chickens (n=6) had $ddl_{E.faecium}$ and vanA, and 5 isolates of the VRE had only vanA. E. faecium, E. faecalis, E. gallinarum and E. casseliflavus were also confirmed for the species-specific gene by multiplex PCR. This multiplex PCR could detect E. faecium, E. faecalis, E. gallinarum, E. casseliflavus, vanA, vanB, vanC-1 and vanC-2, simultaneously. The PCR assay established in the present study can be an alternative to time-consuming biochemical tests and antibiotic susceptibility tests of Enterococcus spp.

• 대한수의사회지
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• 제40권7호
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• pp.634-638
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• 2004

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.469-474
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• 2001

The actinomycete strain AMLK-335 was antagonistic to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Based on the diaminopimelic acid (DAP) type, and morphological and physiological characteristics revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), AMLK-335 was confirmed to belong to the genus Streptomyces. Analysis of the 16S rDNA nucleotide sequences found AMLK-335 to have a relationship with Streptomyces platensis. The production of antibiotic from this strain was most favorable when cultured on glucose, polypeptone, yeast extract (PY) medium for 6 days at $27^{\circ}$. The antibiotic was identified as cyclo(L-phenylalanyl-L-prolyl) by comparing ti with the reported MS and NMR spectral data. Cyclo(phe-pro) from the PY cultures of AMLK-335 was most effective (K-98-258). Futhermore, cyclo(phe-pro) had antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Microcuccs luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but it wa ineffective against Candida albicans, Streptomyces murinus, and Aspergillus niger.