Article
Immunology
Dakang Hu, Yuming Li, Ping Ren, Dongxing Tian, Wenjie Chen, Pan Fu, Weiwen Wang, Xiaobin Li, Xiaofei Jiang
Summary: The positive rates of virulence genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae vary significantly, with iucA, p-rmpA2, and p-rmpA being the primary genes leading to Hv-bla (KPC)(+)-KP. The formation of Hv-bla (KPC)(+)-KP is mostly due to bla (KPC)(+)-KP acquiring another plasmid carrying virulence genes.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yanping Xu, Jianfeng Zhang, Meng Wang, Meng Liu, Guitian Liu, Hongping Qu, Jialin Liu, Zixin Deng, Jingyong Sun, Hong-Yu Ou, Jieming Qu
Summary: This study revealed that a nonconjugative virulence plasmid in ST11 CRKP strains can potentially be mobilized from hvKP or E. coli intermediates with the assistance of conjugative IncF plasmids. The virulence plasmid can be mobilized in four modes, and most putative helper plasmids and virulence plasmids carry a specific 28-bp fusion site. This highlights the rapid dissemination of virulence plasmids and the continuous emergence of hypervirulent carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (hv-CRKP) strains.
Article
Microbiology
Yawei Zhang, Xiaojuan Wang, Qi Wang, Hongbin Chen, Henan Li, Shuyi Wang, Ruobing Wang, Hui Wang
Summary: This study reported the emergence of two IMP-4 carbapenemase-producing K2-ST65 hypervirulent K. pneumoniae isolates that caused severe and fatal infections in clinical settings in China. These strains carrying bla(IMP) and virulence plasmids had the potential to exist for a long time without compromising their fitness, highlighting the urgent need to enhance clinical awareness and epidemiologic surveillance to prevent their dissemination.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Otavio Hallal Ferreira Raro, Patrice Nordmann, Manuel Dominguez Pino, Jacqueline Findlay, Laurent Poirel
Summary: There is an increasing occurrence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and hypervirulent (hv) Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-hvKp) convergent clones. These strains can cause difficult-to-treat infections and have a higher mortality rate in healthy adults. This study in Switzerland identified a rate of 9.0% K. pneumoniae with a virulence genotype, producing carbapenemase and recovered from rectal swabs, urine, and blood. The presence of alarming MDR-hvKp and MDR nonhypervirulent K. pneumoniae (MDR-nhv-Kp) isolates highlights the need for surveillance networks to track and monitor their spread.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Xuemei Yang, Qiaoling Sun, Jiaping Li, Yu Jiang, Yi Li, Jianping Lin, Kaichao Chen, Edward Wai-Chi Chan, Rong Zhang, Sheng Chen
Summary: The epidemiological features and potential threat to human health of the newly emerged carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-HvKP) are currently unknown. This study analyzed 784 CRKP strains collected from three hospitals in China and found that the proportion of CRKP strains among clinical K. pneumoniae strains increased sharply. A significant number of these CRKP strains carried a virulence-encoding plasmid, but only a small percentage exhibited a hypervirulent phenotype. Genetic markers were not strongly correlated with hypervirulent phenotypes, indicating that additional factors may contribute to the hypervirulence of CRKP. The transmission of these CRKP strains in China likely involved multiple clones of ST11 and the major mechanism of carbapenem resistance was the carriage of IncFII pSWU01-like, bla (KPC-2)-bearing plasmids. These findings highlight the rapid increase in prevalence of CRKP strains carrying virulence plasmids in China and the need for better definition and screening of truly hypervirulent CR-HvKP strains in clinical settings.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ying Zhou, Chunyang Wu, Bingjie Wang, YanLei Xu, Huilin Zhao, Yinjuan Guo, Xiaocui Wu, Jingyi Yu, Lulin Rao, Xinyi Wang, Fangyou Yu
Summary: This study found that high-virulence K. pneumoniae strains (KL1/KL2) have lower resistance to antibiotics compared to carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae strains (CRKP). It also discovered that the pLVPK-like virulence plasmid and IncF blaKPC-2 plasmid are crucial for the formation of hypervirulent and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae.
DRUG RESISTANCE UPDATES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Zhongxing Wang, Zhe Wen, Min Jiang, Fufang Xia, Min Wang, Xiangkai Zhuge, Jianjun Dai
Summary: This study revealed that outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of Klebsiella pneumoniae can mediate the horizontal transfer of virulence and resistance genes, resulting in the emergence of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent K. pneumoniae.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jose Joao Sumbana, Antonella Santona, Nader Abdelmalek, Maura Fiamma, Massimo Deligios, Alice Manjate, Jahit Sacarlal, Salvatore Rubino, Bianca Paglietti
Summary: Globally, antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella spp. cause healthcare-associated infections with high mortality rates. The study investigated the phenotypic and genetic features of Klebsiella isolates from invasive infections in Mozambique. The majority of isolates displayed multidrug resistance, with ESBL-producing strains carrying various beta-lactamase genes. The study also identified susceptible hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates associated with severe infections. The findings highlight the importance of surveillance strategies to prevent the emergence of multidrug-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Article
Microbiology
Wilson H. W. Chu, Yi Han Tan, Si Yin Tan, Yahua Chen, Melvin Yong, David C. Lye, Shirin Kalimuddin, Sophia Archuleta, Yunn-Hwen Gan
Summary: Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae causes liver abscess and potential metastatic complications. We discovered a protein, IroP, on the virulence plasmid that suppresses the expression of type 3 fimbriae. Iron regulates hypermucoid capsule production and inversely regulates type 3 fimbriae expression through IroP. This plasmid-chromosomal cross talk confers an evolutionary advantage and contributes to the pathogen's success.
Article
Microbiology
Clement Kin-Ming Tsui, Fatma Ben Abid, Khalil Al Ismail, Christi Lee McElheny, Muna Al Maslamani, Ali S. Omrani, Yohei Doi
Summary: The emergence of carbapenem-resistant, hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae is a new threat to health care. We studied the molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in Qatar using whole-genome sequence data. We also characterized the prevalence and genetic basis of hypervirulent phenotypes and established the virulence potential using a Galleria mellonella model.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
F. Morales-Leon, A. Opazo-Capurro, C. Caro, N. Lincopan, A. Cardenas-Arias, F. Esposito, V. Illesca, M. L. Rioseco, M. Dominguez-Yevenes, C. A. Lima, H. Bello-Toledo, Gerardo Gonzalez-Rocha
Summary: The convergence of virulence and multidrug-resistant phenotype is reported for the first time in Chile in Klebsiella pneumoniae complex isolates, indicating a clinical problem that requires special attention and continuous surveillance in South America. The detected hypervirulent isolates displayed resistance to broad-spectrum cephalosporins and carried multiple antibiotic-resistance genes, leading to a multidrug-resistant phenotype. In vivo virulence testing confirmed higher virulence of the isolates compared to the control strain.
Article
Microbiology
Mohamed Abd El-Gawad El-Sayed Ahmed, Yanxian Yang, Yongqiang Yang, Bin Yan, Guanping Chen, Reem Mostafa Hassan, Lan-Lan Zhong, Yuan Chen, Adam P. Roberts, Yiping Wu, Ruowen He, Xiaoxue Liang, Mingyang Qin, Min Dai, Liyan Zhang, Hongyu Li, Fan Yang, Lingqing Xu, Guo-Bao Tian
Summary: The study presents the genetic basis and plasmid analysis of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (CR-HvKP) in Egyptian hospitals. The main findings include the identification of different sequence types of CRKP isolates, the presence of high-risk clone ST11 KL47 serotype, and the coexistence of carbapenemase-encoding and virulence plasmids in a CR-HvKP strain. This research aims to alert clinicians to the hypervirulence of CRKP isolates and the evolving virulence and multidrug resistance in K. pneumoniae.
Review
Microbiology
Jie Zhu, Tao Wang, Liang Chen, Hong Du
Summary: The review summarizes the virulence factors associated with hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae to understand its molecular pathogenesis and provide new strategies for improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infections caused by hvKP.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Lili Huang, Yunbing Li, Chen Xu, Mi Zhou, Tianyi Wang, Tianyu Wang, Jingyu Wang, Jiayi Tang, Yuanyuan Li, Ning Dong
Summary: This study reported two hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) strains with a novel virulence plasmid, KpVP-3, that exhibited lower coverage compared to the known KpVP-1 and KpVP-2 plasmids. These strains have the potential to pose a threat to public health, and further research is needed to study their dissemination mechanism.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Yuneng Hua, Jingyu Wang, Mei Huang, Yiyi Huang, Ruyi Zhang, Fan Bu, Biao Yang, Juanjiang Chen, Xiaomin Lin, Xiumei Hu, Lei Zheng, Qian Wang
Summary: This study found that Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) transferred virulence genes to Klebsiella pneumoniae, resulting in the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant hypervirulent isolates through outer membrane vesicles (OMVs).
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yoshifumi Kubota, Haruhiko Ishioka, Sohei Harada, Masahiro Suzuki, Junji Shiotsuka, Alan Kawarai Lefor, Masamitsu Sanui
Summary: This study reported a case of rapidly developing emphysematous cholecystitis and disseminated infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae K2 strains, highlighting the need for clinicians in East Asia to be aware of fulminant infections caused by hypervirulent K2 strains, especially in patients with community-acquired K. pneumoniae infections. Further epidemiological studies are needed to understand the clinical features associated with virulence of K. pneumoniae K2 strains.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Itsuki Osawa, Koh Okamoto, Mahoko Ikeda, Amato Otani, Yuji Wakimoto, Marie Yamashita, Takayuki Shinohara, Yoshiaki Kanno, Daisuke Jubishi, Makoto Kurano, Sohei Harada, Shu Okugawa, Yutaka Yatomi, Kyoji Moriya
Summary: A retrospective study analyzed COVID-19 patients treated with nafamostat mesylate, categorizing them into three subgroups based on different risk levels. The findings suggest that admission characteristics can predict the likelihood of subsequent coagulopathy in COVID-19 patients.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND THROMBOLYSIS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Takuya Shimura, Makoto Kurano, Yoshiaki Kanno, Mahoko Ikeda, Koh Okamoto, Daisuke Jubishi, Sohei Harada, Shu Okugawa, Kyoji Moriya, Yutaka Yatomi
Summary: In COVID-19 patients, distinctive coagulation abnormalities were found in clot waveform analyses, showing specific patterns in APTT tests. These abnormal patterns, such as early shoulder type, late shoulder type, or biphasic type, were not seen in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation, but were similar to patterns seen in patients with certain blood disorders. Plasma fibrinogen levels may play a role in these abnormal patterns, which were most frequent around 2 weeks post COVID-19 onset and not linked to disease severity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sohei Harada, Kotaro Aoki, Daisuke Ohkushi, Koh Okamoto, Kazumi Takehana, Tomomi Akatsuchi, Keito Ida, Daigo Shoji, Yoshikazu Ishii, Yohei Doi, Kyoji Moriya, Brian Hayama
Summary: Limited information has been available on the clinical and microbiological characteristics of IMP-producing Enterobacterales. Here, we report an institutional outbreak of IMP-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) involving multiple clades of ECC sequence type (ST) 78 strains. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed three different clades of ST78 strains were responsible for the outbreak, with most IMP-producing ECC strains being susceptible to non-beta-lactam antibiotics and having relatively low minimum inhibitory concentrations to carbapenems, resulting in favorable treatment outcomes for patients compared to infections caused by other carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Kazuya Okushin, Rie Suzuki, Takeya Tsutsumi, Koh Okamoto, Kazuhiko Ikeuchi, Akira Kado, Chihiro Minatsuki, Yuka Minami-Kobayashi, Nobuhiko Satoh, Mahoko Ikeda, Sohei Harada, Kenichiro Enooku, Hidetaka Fujinaga, Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi, Kazuhiko Koike, Kyoji Moriya
Summary: This study found that the actual HCV RNA positivity rate in source patients of needle-stick injuries decreased after the emergence of interferon-free direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). It was also noted that HCV RNA-negative patients were predominant in departments not related to liver diseases in the era of interferon-free DAAs.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Koichi Takeda, Sohei Harada, Brian Hayama, Kosuke Hoashi, Taisuke Enokida, Toshiharu Sasaki, Koh Okamoto, Kenji Nakano, Daisuke Ohkushi
Summary: The risk factors for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in patients with solid tumors are not fully understood. Besides prolonged corticosteroid use, factors like lymphocytopenia and chest radiation therapy may contribute to the development of PCP. A method to estimate the likelihood of PCP in this patient population considering multiple factors is needed.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miyuki Mizoguchi, Sohei Harada, Koh Okamoto, Yoshimi Higurashi, Mahoko Ikeda, Kyoji Moriya
Summary: A study compared the diagnostic performance of NAATs approved in Japan using frozen-stored clinical samples, revealing differences in sensitivity and specificity among the tests. A system is needed to ensure both rapid reagent supply and accurate diagnosis for diagnostic kits of emerging infectious diseases. Ct values obtained by different assays are not interchangeable.
Article
Respiratory System
Yosuke Amano, Hidenori Kage, Goh Tanaka, Wataru Gonoi, Yudai Nakai, Ryo Kurokawa, Shohei Inui, Koh Okamoto, Sohei Harada, Masato Iwabu, Yutaka Morizaki, Osamu Abe, Kyoji Moriya, Takahide Nagase
Summary: Distinguishing COVID-19 from other lung diseases using clinical data and CT images is challenging, but features such as close contact, loss of taste or smell, low white blood cell count, and high fibrinogen levels can help identify COVID-19 cases with typical CT findings. In regions with low prevalence, CT screening shows high sensitivity for detecting COVID-19 in patients with suspected symptoms.
RESPIRATORY INVESTIGATION
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yoshifumi Morita, Makoto Kurano, Daisuke Jubishi, Mahoko Ikeda, Koh Okamoto, Masami Tanaka, Sohei Harada, Shu Okugawa, Kyoji Moriya, Yutaka Yatomi
Summary: This study compared urine sediment findings between COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 patients with acute renal injuries, and found that certain urine sediment particles and biochemical markers were associated with the severity of COVID-19.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Keiji Nakamura, Hidetoshi Nomoto, Sohei Harada, Masahiro Suzuki, Keina Yomono, Ritsuko Yokochi, Noboru Hagino, Takato Nakamoto, Yuki Moriyama, Kei Yamamoto, Satoshi Kutsuna, Norio Ohmagari
Summary: This article reports two cases of K1-ST23 hvKp infections from East Asia, one of which experienced multiple organ involvement requiring surgical treatment, while the other only required antimicrobial therapy. Both cases were identified to have been infected with hvKp.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Kazuto Hoshi, Tetsuro Ikebe, Yoshihide Ota, Hiromitsu Kishimoto, Takeshi Kurata, Hiroshi Kurita, Kentaro Sakamaki, Toshihiko Takenobu, Sohei Harada, Toru Ogasawara, Kanchu Tei, Tadaaki Kirita
JOURNAL OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Kosuke Hoashi, Brian Hayama, Masahiro Suzuki, Aki Sakurai, Kazumi Takehana, Taisuke Enokida, Koichi Takeda, Daisuke Ohkushi, Yohei Doi, Sohei Harada
Summary: Piperacillin-tazobactam may be an effective option for treating ESBL-producing Escherichia coli bacteremia in areas with low frequency of OXA-1 co-production.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yuki Ohama, Yusuke Nomura, Miyuki Mizoguchi, Yoshimi Higurashi, Koh Okamoto, Sohei Harada
Summary: Recent use of bacterial whole-genome sequencing has led to the discovery of new bacterial species and reclassification of taxonomy. Accurate identification methods for bacterial species in clinical microbiology laboratories are limited. This study found that matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry can accurately identify Klebsiella variicola. Accurate identification will help in studying the clinical characteristics of K. variicola.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ryo Yamaguchi, Takehito Yamamoto, Koh Okamoto, Sohei Harada, Miho Echizenya, Takeya Tsutsumi, Tappei Takada
Summary: This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of teicoplanin compared with vancomycin for treating glycopeptide-susceptible Enterococcus faecium (GSEF) bacteraemia. The results showed that teicoplanin is non-inferior to vancomycin in treating GSEF bacteraemia and significantly reduces the risk of acute kidney injury.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Tomohiro Hosoda, Sohei Harada, Koh Okamoto, Sumire Ishino, Makoto Kaneko, Masahiro Suzuki, Ryota Ito, Miyuki Mizoguchi
Summary: In patients with coronavirus disease who deteriorate rapidly, co-infections by bacterial and fungal pathogens, including hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in eastern Asia, should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Allison M. Hitchcock, Wesley D. Kufel, Keri A. Mastro Dwyer, Eric F. Sidman
Summary: Lenacapavir is a novel HIV-1 treatment option for patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) HIV-1 infection. It has a favorable pharmacokinetic profile and has shown good tolerability and efficacy in clinical trials.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2024)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Roberta Gagliardini, Alessandro Tavelli, Stefano Rusconi, Sergio Lo Caputo, Vincenzo Spagnuolo, Maria Mercedes Santoro, Andrea Costantini, Alessandra Vergori, Franco Maggiolo, Andrea Giacomelli, Giulia Burastero, Giordano Madeddu, Eugenia Quiros Roldan, Antonella d'Arminio Monforte, Andrea Antinori, Alessandro Cozzi-Lepri
Summary: This study evaluated multiple treatment failures to modern antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected individuals and found that approximately 4% of them were difficult to treat. The difficult to treat group, compared to the non-difficult to treat group, was characterized by older age, higher prevalence of AIDS, lower CD4+ cell count, and higher risk of treatment failure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2024)