Publications by authors named "Ana Catarina de Souza Lopes"

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the presence of beta-lactams resistance genes and the clonal relationship of clinical isolates of Enterobacterales obtained from patients with and without COVID-19, in a hospital in northeastern Brazil.

Methods And Results: The study analyzed 45 carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR), PCR, and amplicon sequencing to detect resistance genes (blaKPC, blaGES, blaNDM, blaVIM, and blaIMP). The main species were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, and Proteus mirabilis.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to analyze the genetic makeup and antimicrobial resistance, particularly related to β-lactam antibiotics, in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in Recife, Brazil, after the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • - A variety of methods, including PCR and sequencing, were used to identify resistance genes and assess genetic diversity, revealing high resistance levels and the presence of new β-lactamase genes in the isolates.
  • - The findings highlight the urgent need for improved infection control and antimicrobial stewardship to combat the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
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  • The study focused on co-encapsulating the antibiotics ceftazidime and tobramycin in zein nanoparticles coated with chitosan to target antibiotic-resistant pathogens and biofilms.
  • The characterization of the nanoparticles demonstrated their stability and effective drug encapsulation, with specific particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index values indicating successful synthesis.
  • The results showed that the co-encapsulated formulation exhibited stronger antibacterial and antibiofilm activities than the individual antibiotic treatments, making it a promising alternative for treating difficult infections.
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Aims: Investigated and compared the occurrence of virulence genes fimH, mrkD, irp2, entB, cps, rmpA, and wabG, resistance genes blaKPC and blaNDM, and the genetic variability and clonal relationship of 29 Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates of patients with and without COVID-19, from a hospital in Brazil.

Methods And Results: All isolates were resistant to beta-lactams. The genes were investigated by PCR, and for molecular typing, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) and MLST were used.

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Aims: Determine which sequence type (ST) clones were carrying the blaKPC, blaNDM, blaVIM, blaIMP, and blaGES genes and their variants in clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Methods And Results: Ten K. pneumoniae isolates were obtained from the colonized and infected patients in a public hospital in the city of Recife-PE, in northeastern Brazil, and were further analyzed.

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To characterize phenotypically and genotypically an isolate of multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae from a patient with septicemia in a hospital in Recife-PE, Brazil, resistance and virulence genes were investigated using PCR and sequencing the amplicons, and the plasmid DNA was also sequenced. The K74-A3 isolate was resistant to all β-lactams, including carbapenems, as well as to aminoglycosides and quinolones.

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Introduction: Proteus mirabilis is one of the main pathogens that cause urinary tract infections. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze and compare the genetic profile of 36 clinical isolates of P. mirabilis that carry and do not carry the bla and bla gene with respect to virulence factors (mrpG, pmfA, ucaA, nrpG and pbtA) and antimicrobial resistance (blabla, bla, blabla, bla, bla and bla).

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Proteus mirabilis is one of the main pathogens causing urinary tract infections and sepsis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a P. mirabilis hosting bla GES.

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Introduction: This study investigated the genetic environment of bla KPC-2 in Klebsiella pnemoniae multi-drug resistant clinical isolates.

Methods: Four carbapenemase gene isolates resistant to carbapenems, collected from infected patients from two hospitals in Brazil, were investigated using polymerase chain reaction and plasmid DNA sequencing.

Results: The bla KPC-2 gene was located between ISKpn6 and a resolvase tnpR in the non-Tn4401 element (NTEKPC-IId).

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Objectives: Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying bla and bla genes are a worldwide concern for which combination antimicrobial therapy may be the only viable option. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro activity of combinations of polymyxin B (PMB) with meropenem (MEM), amikacin (AMK) and gentamicin (GEN) at subinhibitory concentrations against two K. pneumoniae clinical isolates co-harbouring bla, bla and aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes and resistant to PMB.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Hymenaea cangaceira Pinto, Mansano & Azevedo (Fabaceae) is a Brazilian medicinal plant widely known as "Jatobá". In folk medicine, it is used to treat infections, respiratory problems, rheumatism, antitumoral, inflammation and pain, however, no activity has been scientifically validated.

Aim Of The Study: This study investigated chemical composition of essential oil from Hymenaea cangaceira (EOHc), antimicrobial, antinociceptive and antioxidant activities besides protection against DNA damage and hemolysis.

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Introduction: The emergence of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) is concernig because it reduces the antibiotic therapy options for bacterial infections.

Methods: Resistant and virulent genes from an isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae derived from a patient with sepsis in a hospital in Recife-PE, Brazil, were investigated using PCR and DNA sequencing.

Results: bla NDM-1, aac(6')-Ib-cr and acrB resistance genes, and cps and mrkD virulence genes were detected.

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Introduction: The relationships between phagocytosis, and mucoid phenotype, plasmid profile and virulence, and resistance genetic characteristics of Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates were evaluated.

Methods: Thirty isolates were used to determine the mucoid aspect. Four were selected for analysis of phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on analyzing the essential oil's chemical makeup, including key components like β-Pinene and α-Pinene, with no detected acute toxicity at high doses.
  • The essential oil showed significant pain relief (65.84% reduction in writhing) through an opioid-like mechanism, comparable to morphine.
  • It also exhibited strong antimicrobial properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, along with noteworthy antioxidant activity, indicating promising pharmaceutical potential.
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Introduction: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important pathogen globally, presents several resistance mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the presence of bla GES in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa obtained from various clinical specimens from patients admitted to three different hospitals in Recife, Brazil. The Guiana extended spectrum beta-lactamase (GES) enzymes are responsible for conferring broad spectrum resistance to beta-lactam drugs, including the carbapenems.

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Introduction: There is a mechanism of macrolide resistance in Staphylococcus spp. which also affects the lincosamides and type B streptogramins characterizing the so-called MLSB resistance, whose expression can be constitutive (cMLSB) or inducible (iMLSB) and is encoded mainly by ermA and ermC genes. The cMLSB resistance is easily detected by susceptibility testing used in the laboratory routine, but iMLSB resistance is not.

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The aim of this study was to characterize the ultrastructural effects caused by β-lactam antibiotics in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. Three K. pneumoniae clinical isolates were selected for the study with resistance profiles for third-generation cephalosporins, aztreonam, and/or imipenem and with different resistance genes for extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) or Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC).

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This study was performed with the objective to identify the prevalence of colonization by Staphylococcus aureus in nursing professionals from a teaching hospital in Pernambuco, and evaluate the resistance profile of these isolates. To do this, we performed a cross-sectional study where biological samples were collected from the hands and nasal cavities of the subjects. S.

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The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the bla (SHV) gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from hospital and community infections and from the normal microbiota of healthy individuals in Recife, PE, Brazil. Fifty-two K. pneumoniae isolates were analyzed regarding the presence of the bla (SHV) gene, using PCR, and eight isolates were analyzed by DNA sequencing.

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The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution of phylogenetic groups among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from Recife, Brazil and to assess the relationship between the groups and the isolation sites and resistance profile. Ninety four isolates of K. pneumoniae from hospital or community infections and from normal microbiota were analyzed by gyrA PCR-RFLP, antibiotic susceptibility, and adonitol fermentation.

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Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an increasingly prevalent opportunistic pathogen in hospital infection cases. Its high resistance rates to many antimicrobials has given this microorganism a relevant role among other highly prevalent bacteria involved in nosocomial infections. This study aimed to analyze epidemiologic characteristics of P.

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Thirty nosocomial isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, collected from three public hospitals in Recife, Brazil, between 1999 and 2000, were analysed in order to determine their epidemiological relatedness and genetic characteristics. The isolates were characterised by biotyping, antibiotyping, protein analysis, plasmid profile and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The majority of the clinical isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics, in particular to beta-lactams, and 30% were found to be ESBLs producers.

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