Impact on quinolone resistance of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance gene and mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions in extended spectrum beta lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from urinary tract infection patients

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a typical pathogen in urinary tract infections (UTI), and the emergence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains has been frequently reported, accompanied by higher quinolone resistance rates. There are two major mechanisms of quinolone resistance, mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDR) and the presence of the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes. This study aimed to investigate quinolone resistance among 105 ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae specimens isolated from UTI patients in Indonesia. These were characterized for antimicrobial resistance to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin, QRDR mutations in gyrA and parC and the presence of PMQR genes. We found that 84.8% of the collected isolates were resistant to at least one of the quinolones. QRDR mutation in gyrA was observed in 49.5% of these strains and parC mutations in 61.0%. PMQR genes were identified in 84.8% of strains. The QRDR mutations clearly had a greater effect on resistance than the PMQR genes. In conclusion, we found high quinolone resistance rates in Indonesian ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, in which QRDR mutation played a major role.