Pregnane receptor gene polymorphisms, pathogenic bacteria distribution and drug sensitivity, and TCM syndrome differentiation in patients with cholelithiasis

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the distribution of pathogens and drug resistance in bile and the association between the pregnane X receptor (PXR) gene polymorphisms, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and the risk of cholesterol gallstone disease (CGD). Methods: A total of 392 samples were enrolled in this study from January 2014 to February 2015, among which 192 patients were with CGD, and 200 samples were healthy. Strains were isolated and susceptibility testing was the disk diffusion method susceptibility testing. The patients were divided into hepatochlic hygropyrexia, stagnation of liver-qi, and the accumulation of damp. The PXR gene polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The association between the PXR gene polymorphisms and the risk of CGD was examined by logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 192 cases were detected in 230 of bile culture pathogens, including Gram-negative bacteria 133 (57.83%), Gram-positive bacteria 76 (33.04%), and fungi 21 (9.13%). The top five pathogens were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Candida albicans, and Enterococcus feces, of which 110 cases was of single infection, 48 cases of mixed infection of two strains, eight cases of mixed infection of three bacteria. Among 59 Escherichia coli, the yield extended-spectrum beta-lactamases had 40 (67.80%). The hepatochlic hygropyrexia was the most TCM syndrome, followed by stagnation of liver-qi, and the accumulation of damp was least. Different pathogens and the rs6785049 genotypes distributed differently in cholelithiasis patients with different TCM syndromes (P < 0.05). In hepatochlic hygropyrexia patients the Gram-negative bacteria was most. There was significant differences between CGD group and control group in rs6785049 (P < 0.001). Comparison with wild-type portable GG, GA genotype increased the risk of the occurrence of gallstones (OR = 0.40, 95%CI 0.16-0.79); likewise, carrying the GA+AA genotype also increased the risk (OR = 0.38, 95%CI 0.19-0.81). There was no significant differences in rs2276707, rs3814055 site polymorphic loci alleles in CGD group and control group. Conclusions: In the treatment of cholelithiasis, bile samples should be collected for bacterial culture and sensitivity test, and drugs should be strictly chosen based on the results. The rs6785049 polymorphisms in PXR gene may increase the risk of gallstones ontogeny, and gallstones can be early detected and prevented by detecting genotypes. rs6785049 polymorphisms in PXR gene may has relationship with TCM syndromes.