title: Comparison of arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction and plasmid profiles typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from burn patients and hospital environment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the strengths and weakness of arbitrary primed-polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) and plasmid profiles for typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and tracking of source of infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-four strains of P. aeruginosa were isolated from burn patients and hospital environment between January to April 2003 in Ghotbadden Burn Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. The strains were classified by photo Capt Mw program, similarity and clustering of strains were assessed using NTSYS-PC version 2.02K software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on 50% and 64.7% and 67.5% similarity on the plotted dendrogram, 38 plasmid profiles were classified into: 2, 3 and 5 clusters, respectively. Photo Capt Mw program categorized AP-PCR products to 47 different types of 6 to 12 bands between 0.376 to 3.7 kb. Based on dendrogram pattern 3 levels (62 %, 81% and 84.6%) of similarity were selected. Using these criteria 2, 5 and 11 clusters were obtained, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As compared with plasmid profiles, AP-PCR analysis protocol is rapid, reproducible and differentiated the isolates with higher discrimination power. These results suggest that during admission of patients in burn center a limited number of common strains cross-contaminate burn victims. However, transmissions of infection from hospital environment to patients also occur in the minority of the victims. To control cross-contamination of the patient wounds with antibiotics resistant isolates, strong disinfection of patients' bathroom after scrubbing of each patient wounds is mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Prof. Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. japonia@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Japoni
authors.forename: Shohreh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farshad
authors.forename: Abdolvahab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alborzi
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalani
authors.forename: Raza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohamadzadegan
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002056:Burns / Q000382:microbiology*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification*