Detection and identification of serotypes and virulent genes of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from inpatients with liver abscess in Bach Mai Hospital

Abstract

 This study aimed to identify serotypes and virulence genes of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) isolates by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction for genes involved in the biosynthesis of capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Among 100 pus abscess samples, forty six isolates were isolated and identified as K. pneumoniae using MALDI-TOF. Multiplex PCR was performed for K. pneumoniae isolates with three primers targeting the magA, K2A and rmpA genes in one reaction. The result revealed that 20 of the isolates belonging to serotype K1 (43.5%) showed a band of 1283bp in size, 15 isolates belonging to the K2 serotype (32.6%) showed a band of 543bp in size and và 11 isolates were non- K1/K2 serotype (23.9%). The distribution of rmpA gene in the serotype K1, serotype K2 and Non-K1/K2 was 19/20 (95%), 12/15 (80%) and 0 (0%), respectively. These results suggest that magA and rmpA genotype could be useful marker for identifying K1 and K2 genotypes of K. pneumoniae and these serotypes have been more prevalent than those that were neither K1 nor K2 (Non-K1/ K2). Multiplex PCR is considered a reliable, relatively rapid, and effective with easy application and repeatability, making it a potentially powerful tool for routine clinical identification of K. pneumoniae serotypes and toxin genes.