RT-PCR and Statistical Analyses of adeABC Expression in Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus–Acinetobacter baumannii Complex

The relationship between expression of adeABC and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tigecycline was investigated by RT-PCR and statistical analyses in a population of 106 clinical isolates (MIC range, 0.0313-16 microg/ml) of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex. There was a statistically significant linear relationship (p < 0.0001) between log-transformed expression values and log-transformed MIC values, indicating that overexpression of AdeABC efflux pump is a prevalent mechanism for decreased susceptibility to tigecycline in A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex.