Molecular investigation of macrolide and Tetracycline resistances in oral bacteria isolated from Tunisian children.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate the antibiotic susceptibility of strains isolated from the oral cavity of Tunisian children.


METHODS
Strains were isolated from the oral cavity of Tunisian children (60 caries-actives and 30 caries-free). Molecular characterization was assessed by PCR assay to detect erythromycin methylase gene (ermB), macrolide efflux (mefI) and tetracycline resistance genes (tetM and tetO).


RESULTS
A total of 21 species were isolated and identified. Antimicrobial susceptibility revealed that the resistance rate to antibiotics was as follow: erythromycin (22%), tetracycline (15.6%), cefotaxim, (7.3%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazol (37.6%), nitrofurantoine (2.8%), pristinamycin (17.4%), quinupristin-dalfopristin (15.6%), and rifampicin (3.7%). The majority of mefI positive strains (31.2%) were isolated from the carious children (n=34) in comparison with 8.25% from the control group (n=9). In addition, frequency of strains caring resistance genes were as follow: 12.84% for ermB, 9.17% for tetM and 27.52% for tetO from the carious children in comparison to 0.092%, 3.67% and 3.67% from the caries free group respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Multi-resistance strains towards macrolides and tetracycline were recorded. The majority of strains carrying antibiotics resistance genes were isolated from the caries active children. The presence of multi-resistant bacteria in the oral cavity can be the major cause of antibiotic prophylaxis failure in dental practise.
Laboratoire d'Analyses, Traitement et Valorisation des Polluants de l'Environnement et des Produits, Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Biologie Clinique, Rue Avicenne, 5000 Monastir, Tunisie. bochrak@yahoo.fr
Bochra
B
Kouidhi
Tarek
T
Zmantar
Hajer
H
Hentati
Fayrouz
F
Najjari
Kacem
K
Mahdouni
Amina
A
Bakhrouf
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D018942:Macrolides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
D018942:Macrolides; D013752:Tetracycline