Rapid Detection of blaNDM, blaKPC, blaIMP, and blaVIM Carbapenemase Genes in Bacteria by Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed and evaluated for rapid detection of bla(KPC), bla(NDM), bla(IMP), and bla(VIM) carbapenemase genes. Six oligonucleotides, including outer, inner, and loop primers, were designed for eight distinct regions in each target gene. Two qualitative criteria were used to evaluate LAMP reactions: visual inspection of color change and real-time detection of fluorescence change. The lower detection limit was 10 colony forming units (CFU) per reaction for real-time detection and 100 CFU per reaction for visual inspection for each gene. Two hundred twenty-two carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates (including 100 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 100 Acinetobacter sp., and 22 Enterobacteriaceae) were tested by LAMP assay. At the same time, these isolates were confirmed by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing analysis. In these clinical isolates, the results of 11 strains with bla(NDM), 11 strains with bla(KPC), 11 strains with bla(VIM), and 2 strains with bla(IMP) obtained using LAMP assays were concordant with conventional PCR. The LAMP method reported here may be a useful and powerful tool for rapid detection of bla(NDM), bla(KPC), bla(IMP), and bla(VIM) carbapenemase genes in bacteria.