The characteristics of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases in Korean isolates of Enterobacteriaceae.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in gram-negative organisms have been implicated as the enzymes responsible for resistance to oxyimino-cephalosporins. The incidence of ESBL-producers in Korean isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were in the range of 4.8-7.5% and 22.5-22.8%, respectively. The ESBL-producing isolates revealed variable levels of resistance to cefotaxime, ceftazidime and aztreonam. They also showed the elevated MIC values of non-beta-lactam antibiotics. SHV-12 and SHV-2a were the enzymes most frequently found in K. pneumoniae strains, but TEM-52 was the most prevalent in E. coli isolates. About 15% of ESBL-producing isolates of Enterobacteriaceae produced CMY-1 enzyme, which conferred resistance to cephamycins such as cefoxitin as well as oxyimino-cephalosporins. Thus, the most common types of ESBLs in Korea are TEM-52, SHV-12 SHV-2a, and CMY-1.