Sequential Evolution of Vancomycin-Intermediate Resistance Alters Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus: Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Targets for Vancomycin Exposure

Staphylococcus aureus possesses exceptional virulence and a remarkable ability to adapt in the face of antibiotic therapy. We examined thein vitro evolution ofS. aureus in response to escalating vancomycin exposure by evaluating bacterial killing and the progression of resistance. A hollow-fiber infection model was utilized to simulate human doses of vancomycin increasing from 0.5 to 4 g every 12 h (q12h) versus a high inoculum (108 CFU/ml) of methicillin-resistantS. aureus (MRSA) USA300 and USA400. Host-pathogen interactions usingGalleria mellonella and accessory gene regulator (agr ) expression were studied in serially obtained isolates. In both USA300 and USA400 MRSA isolates, vancomycin exposure up to 2 g q12h resulted in persistence and regrowth, whereas 4 g administered q12h achieved sustained killing against both strains. As vancomycin exposure increased from 0.5 to 2 g q12h, the bacterial population shifted toward vancomycin-intermediate resistance, and collateral increases in the MICs of daptomycin and televancin were observed over 10 days. Guideline-recommended exposure of a ratio of the area under the concentration-time curve for the free, unbound fraction of the drug to the MIC (f AUC/MIC ratio) of 200 displayed a 0.344-log bacterial reduction in area, whereasf AUC/MICs of 371 and 554 were needed to achieve 1.00- and 2.00-log reductions in area, respectively. The stepwise increase in resistance paralleled a decrease inG. mellonella mortality (P = 0.021) and a gradual decline of RNAIII expression over 10 days. Currently recommended doses of vancomycin resulted in amplification of resistance and collateral damage to other antibiotics. Decreases inagr expression and virulence during therapy may be an adaptive mechanism ofS. aureus persistence.