Eyüp Doğan , Katharina Schaufler , Stefan E. Heiden , Christian Kohler , Melanie Langheinrich , Karsten Becker , Elias Eger , Evgeny A. Idelevich
{"title":"德国某大学医院高致病性肺炎克雷伯菌的流行、特点及临床特征","authors":"Eyüp Doğan , Katharina Schaufler , Stefan E. Heiden , Christian Kohler , Melanie Langheinrich , Karsten Becker , Elias Eger , Evgeny A. Idelevich","doi":"10.1016/j.ijmm.2025.151662","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Infections caused by hypervirulent <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> (hvKp) are often characterised by severe, metastatic and relapsing infections. Initially described in Asia, this pathotype has now expanded worldwide. Convergent strains combining hypervirulence with multidrug resistance additionally aggravate the situation. However, only sparse data are available on the occurrence of hvKp in European countries. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence of hvKp in a tertiary medical centre in Germany.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div><em>K. pneumoniae</em> isolates were prospectively collected from clinical specimens obtained at the University Medicine Greifswald from June 1st to August 31st, 2022. Only the first isolate from each patient was considered, while screening samples were excluded. All isolates were phenotypically characterised for virulence and subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 122 isolates were included, which ranged from largely antibiotic-susceptible to multidrug-resistant phenotypes, with only one isolate carrying a carbapenemase gene (<em>bla</em><sub>OXA-181</sub>). Phenotypic assays showed heterogeneous results, with only one isolate demonstrating concomitant positivity in both the string test and mucoid-staining plate. WGS revealed 81 different sequence types, including high-risk clonal lineages. Four isolates carried typical genetic markers associated with hypervirulence and were largely antibiotic-susceptible. In the <em>Galleria mellonella</em> infection model, these four isolates showed higher larval mortality compared to two control carbapenem-resistant classical <em>K. pneumoniae</em> strains. Convergent strains were not found.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings revealed that 3.3 % (4 out of 122) of isolates were classified as hvKp. This prevalence appears clinically relevant due to the notoriously aggressive course of infections caused by this pathotype.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50312,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Microbiology","volume":"320 ","pages":"Article 151662"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Prevalence, characteristics and clinical features of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in a German university hospital\",\"authors\":\"Eyüp Doğan , Katharina Schaufler , Stefan E. Heiden , Christian Kohler , Melanie Langheinrich , Karsten Becker , Elias Eger , Evgeny A. Idelevich\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.ijmm.2025.151662\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Infections caused by hypervirulent <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> (hvKp) are often characterised by severe, metastatic and relapsing infections. Initially described in Asia, this pathotype has now expanded worldwide. Convergent strains combining hypervirulence with multidrug resistance additionally aggravate the situation. However, only sparse data are available on the occurrence of hvKp in European countries. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence of hvKp in a tertiary medical centre in Germany.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div><em>K. pneumoniae</em> isolates were prospectively collected from clinical specimens obtained at the University Medicine Greifswald from June 1st to August 31st, 2022. Only the first isolate from each patient was considered, while screening samples were excluded. All isolates were phenotypically characterised for virulence and subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 122 isolates were included, which ranged from largely antibiotic-susceptible to multidrug-resistant phenotypes, with only one isolate carrying a carbapenemase gene (<em>bla</em><sub>OXA-181</sub>). Phenotypic assays showed heterogeneous results, with only one isolate demonstrating concomitant positivity in both the string test and mucoid-staining plate. WGS revealed 81 different sequence types, including high-risk clonal lineages. Four isolates carried typical genetic markers associated with hypervirulence and were largely antibiotic-susceptible. In the <em>Galleria mellonella</em> infection model, these four isolates showed higher larval mortality compared to two control carbapenem-resistant classical <em>K. pneumoniae</em> strains. Convergent strains were not found.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings revealed that 3.3 % (4 out of 122) of isolates were classified as hvKp. This prevalence appears clinically relevant due to the notoriously aggressive course of infections caused by this pathotype.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":50312,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"International Journal of Medical Microbiology\",\"volume\":\"320 \",\"pages\":\"Article 151662\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":3.6000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-07-19\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"International Journal of Medical Microbiology\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438422125000189\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"MICROBIOLOGY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Medical Microbiology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438422125000189","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MICROBIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Prevalence, characteristics and clinical features of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in a German university hospital
Background
Infections caused by hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) are often characterised by severe, metastatic and relapsing infections. Initially described in Asia, this pathotype has now expanded worldwide. Convergent strains combining hypervirulence with multidrug resistance additionally aggravate the situation. However, only sparse data are available on the occurrence of hvKp in European countries. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence of hvKp in a tertiary medical centre in Germany.
Methods
K. pneumoniae isolates were prospectively collected from clinical specimens obtained at the University Medicine Greifswald from June 1st to August 31st, 2022. Only the first isolate from each patient was considered, while screening samples were excluded. All isolates were phenotypically characterised for virulence and subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS).
Results
A total of 122 isolates were included, which ranged from largely antibiotic-susceptible to multidrug-resistant phenotypes, with only one isolate carrying a carbapenemase gene (blaOXA-181). Phenotypic assays showed heterogeneous results, with only one isolate demonstrating concomitant positivity in both the string test and mucoid-staining plate. WGS revealed 81 different sequence types, including high-risk clonal lineages. Four isolates carried typical genetic markers associated with hypervirulence and were largely antibiotic-susceptible. In the Galleria mellonella infection model, these four isolates showed higher larval mortality compared to two control carbapenem-resistant classical K. pneumoniae strains. Convergent strains were not found.
Conclusion
Our findings revealed that 3.3 % (4 out of 122) of isolates were classified as hvKp. This prevalence appears clinically relevant due to the notoriously aggressive course of infections caused by this pathotype.
期刊介绍:
Pathogen genome sequencing projects have provided a wealth of data that need to be set in context to pathogenicity and the outcome of infections. In addition, the interplay between a pathogen and its host cell has become increasingly important to understand and interfere with diseases caused by microbial pathogens. IJMM meets these needs by focussing on genome and proteome analyses, studies dealing with the molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and the evolution of pathogenic agents, the interactions between pathogens and host cells ("cellular microbiology"), and molecular epidemiology. To help the reader keeping up with the rapidly evolving new findings in the field of medical microbiology, IJMM publishes original articles, case studies and topical, state-of-the-art mini-reviews in a well balanced fashion. All articles are strictly peer-reviewed. Important topics are reinforced by 2 special issues per year dedicated to a particular theme. Finally, at irregular intervals, current opinions on recent or future developments in medical microbiology are presented in an editorial section.