Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39633433›Full record

SynthesisGenome medicine2024

Revisiting mutational resistance to ampicillin and cefotaxime in Haemophilus influenzae.

Margo Diricks, Sabine Petersen, Lennart Bartels, Thiên-Trí Lâm, Heike Claus, Maria Paula Bajanca-Lavado, Susanne Hauswaldt, Ricardo Stolze, Omar Jiménez Vázquez, Christian Utpatel and 4 more

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Genome medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. β-Lactamase-ProducingJournal of general and family medicine · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. A Novel nor@DHB Matrix for Direct Microbial Analysis in Lung Cancer Tissues.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025
    Article
  10. Genomic profiling of cefotaxime-resistantFrontiers in microbiology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Margo Diricks *Molecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
Sabine Petersen *Evolution of the Resistome, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Parkallee 1, Borstel, 23845, Germany.
Lennart Bartels *Biomolecular Data Science in Pneumology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
Thiên-Trí LâmNational Reference Centre for Meningococci and Haemophilus Influenzae (NRZMHi), Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Heike ClausNational Reference Centre for Meningococci and Haemophilus Influenzae (NRZMHi), Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Maria Paula Bajanca-LavadoHaemophilus Influenzae Reference Laboratory, Department of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal.
Susanne HauswaldtDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Ricardo StolzeBiomolecular Data Science in Pneumology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
Omar Jiménez VázquezMolecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
Christian UtpatelMolecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
Stefan NiemannMolecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
Jan RuppDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Inken Wohlers *Biomolecular Data Science in Pneumology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
Matthias Merker *German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Borstel-Lübeck, Germany. mmerker@fz-borstel.de.ORCID 0000-0003-1386-2331

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHaemophilus influenzae is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that can cause severe respiratory tract and invasive infections. The emergence of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant (BLNAR) strains and unclear correlations between genotypic (i.e., gBLNAR) and phenotypic resistance are challenging empirical treatments and patient management. Thus, we sought to revisit molecular resistance mechanisms and to identify new resistance determinants of H. influenzae.

methodsWe performed a systematic meta-analysis of H. influenzae isolates (n = 291) to quantify the association of phenotypic ampicillin and cefotaxime resistance with previously defined resistance groups, i.e., specific substitution patterns of the penicillin binding protein PBP3, encoded by ftsI. Using phylogenomics and a genome-wide association study (GWAS), we investigated evolutionary trajectories and novel resistance determinants in a public global cohort (n = 555) and a new clinical cohort from three European centers (n = 298), respectively.

resultsOur meta-analysis confirmed that PBP3 group II- and group III-related isolates were significantly associated with phenotypic resistance to ampicillin (p < 0.001), while only group III-related isolates were associated with resistance to cefotaxime (p = 0.02). The vast majority of H. influenzae isolates not classified into a PBP3 resistance group were ampicillin and cefotaxime susceptible. However, particularly group II isolates had low specificities (< 16%) to rule in ampicillin resistance due to clinical breakpoints classifying many of them as phenotypically susceptible. We found indications for positive selection of multiple PBP3 substitutions, which evolved independently and often step-wise in different phylogenetic clades. Beyond ftsI, other possible candidate genes (e.g., oppA, ridA, and ompP2) were moderately associated with ampicillin resistance in the GWAS. The PBP3 substitutions M377I, A502V, N526K, V547I, and N569S were most strongly related to ampicillin resistance and occurred in combination in the most prevalent resistant haplotype H1 in our clinical cohort.

conclusionsGradient agar diffusion strips and broth microdilution assays do not consistently classify isolates from PBP3 groups as phenotypically resistant. Consequently, when the minimum inhibitory concentration is close to the clinical breakpoints, and genotypic data is available, PBP3 resistance groups should be prioritized over susceptible phenotypic results for ampicillin. The implications on treatment outcome and bacterial fitness of other extended PBP3 substitution patterns and novel candidate genes need to be determined.

Indexed as

AmpicillinAnti-Bacterial AgentsCefotaximeDrug Resistance, BacterialHaemophilus influenzaeMutationAmpicillin ResistanceGenome-Wide Association StudyHaemophilus InfectionsHumansMicrobial Sensitivity TestsPenicillin-Binding ProteinsPhylogenyAmpicillinAnti-Bacterial AgentsCefotaximePenicillin-Binding ProteinsAmpicillin resistanceBLNARCefotaxime resistanceGenome-wide association studyHaemophilus influenzaeHaplotype networksLiterature reviewMICPBP3PhylogenomicsResistance groups

Identifiers

PMID39633433
PMCPMC11616347

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.