Clindamycin-induced enrichment and long-term persistence of resistant Bacteroides spp. and resistance genes.

OBJECTIVES The aim was to study the long-term consequences of 1 week clindamycin administration regarding selection and persistence of resistance, resistance determinants and diversity of the Bacteroides spp. in the intestinal microflora. METHODS A total of 1306 Bacteroides isolates were collected from constitutively cultured faecal samples during a 2 year period from eight healthy volunteers. The strains were identified by biochemical and genotyping methods. MIC values were determined by the agar dilution method and presence of resistance genes was screened by real-time PCR. RESULTS Ecological changes in the intestinal microflora persisting up to 24 months were recorded after a 7 day clindamycin administration to four healthy volunteers. Compared to a control group, not exposed to clindamycin, an enrichment and stabilization of resistant Bacteroides strains and resistance determinants were discovered up to 2 years after clindamycin exposure. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that even a short-term antibiotic administration can cause long-term alterations in the commensal microbiota of individual subjects, detectable 2 years after dosing. The recorded selection and persistence of resistant strains and resistance genes, illustrates the importance of increasing our knowledge of the role of the abundant intestinal microbial community as a reservoir for spread of resistance.