Evaluation of multiplex PCR using dual-priming oligonucleotide for the detection of vanA and vanB in vancomycin-resistant enterococci.

摘要

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are multi-drag resistant pathogens that may cause serious nosocomial infections. Among the vancomycin resistance (Van) genes, vanA and vanB remain the most clinically relevant as they are associated with transposons and may mediate horizontal transfer of vancomycin resistance to other bacteria (1). Therefore, early detection of VRE is crucial for the management and treatment of both colonized and infected patients, and for appropriate implementation of infection control measures to prevent the spread of VRE. Until now, since PCR methods for detecting and identifying VRE are not cost-effective, a number of studies have attempted to develop and evaluate multiplex PCR for screening for VRE (2, 3). Generally, the results have shown that multiplex PCR is quicker and has higher sensitivity compared with conventional culture for the detection of vanA and vanB.