Molecular analysis of AmpC-producing Escherichia coli isolated from pediatric patients

Background: AmpC-mediated cephalosporin resistance occurs in 1.0% to 3.3% of Escherichia coli isolates due to the production of either plasmid-mediated AmpC (p-AmpC) or chromosomal AmpC (c-AmpC). Data on the prevalence and molecular characteristics of AmpC-producing E. coli in pediatric patients are limited. Methods: We analyzed E. coli clinical strains with resistance phenotype consistent with AmpC production isolated from patients at a pediatric hospital in Japan between 2015 and 2022. Sequence types, resistance genes, and relevant mutations were identified through whole genome sequencing. Promoter and attenuator regions of the chromosomal ampC gene were examined, and the presence of plasmid-mediated ampC genes was determined. Results: Among 2081 E. coli strains, 80 (3.8%) from 27 patients demonstrated the AmpC phenotype. The median patient age was 55 months, with 92.6% having underlying diseases, mainly renal and urinary tract abnormalities. Of the 27 strains, p-AmpC was found in 9 strains including 6 strains belonging to ST131, while c-AmpC was identified in 18 strains including 9 ST73 strains and 4 ST12 strains.ST131 and ST73 were the major AmpC-E. coli lineages isolated from children with underlying diseases. Conclusions: Most ST131 strains harbored p-ampC, while all ST73 strains acquired cephalosporin resistance by c-AmpC production through promoter and attenuator mutations, suggesting the presence of both AmpC mechanisms in a lineage-specific manner in E. coli identified among hospitalized children.