New Microbes and New Infections · Published 2026-05-30 · DOI 10.1016/j.nmni.2026.101778
Jaroslava Dekkerová, Tomáš Walentín, Anna Jozefíková, Jana Liščáková, Helena Bujdáková
Background: The prevalence of carbapenemase (CPE)-producing K. pneumoniae isolates has increased in hospitals worldwide over the past decade. Resistance is often associated with the ability of clinical isolates to form biofilm. The main objective was to investigate biofilm development in 30 hospital isolates of K. pneumoniae with confirmed CPE production as well as to analyze the distribution of resistance genes, the frequency of virulence genes, and their role in the regulation of biofilm. Methods: Selected isolates of K. pneumoniae with CPE production were examined for their ability to form biofilms using crystal violet staining. The presence of resistance genes (blaSHV1, blaTEM1, blaCTXM1) and genes (fimH, mrkD, entB) associated with biofilm formation was confirmed by PCR. Quantitative real-time PCR was then performed to compare the expression of biofilm-associated genes in weak, moderate and strong biofilm formers among K. pneumoniae. Results: More than 50% of all K. pneumoniae isolates were confirmed to be strong biofilm producers. PCR confirmed the presence of resistance-associated genes and genes important for biofilm development in all clinical isolates tested. Additionally, qPCR showed increased regulation of the adhesion-related genes fimH and mrkD in moderate or strong biofilm formers of K. pneumoniae compared to weak biofilm formers. Conclusions: The present results provide valuable information on the relationship between increased CPE resistance, biofilm production, and its genetic regulation in K. pneumoniae hospital isolates.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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Dekkerová, J., Walentín, T., Jozefíková, A., et al. (2026). Incidence of carbapenemase-resistant isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae in a regional hospital in Slovakia; contribution of virulence genes and biofilm production to overall pathogenicity. New Microbes and New Infections. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nmni.2026.101778