title: Identification and characterization of metallo-β-lactamases producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates in University Hospital from Zanjan Province, Iran.
abstract: Infectious by Pseudomonas aeruginosa has spread worldwide and metallo-beta-lactamases (MBL) are being reported with increasing frequency. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibiotic susceptibility and distribution of blaVIM and blaIMP genes in P. aeruginosa isolates from Zanjan Province of Iran.
  
  
  
  A total of 70 P. aeruginosa isolates were identified from patients admitted at intensive care units. The antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by disk diffusion (Kirby-Bauer) method and for production of MBL using double-disk synergy test (DDST). After DNA extraction, the presence of blaVIM and blaIMP genes and class 1 integron were detected by PCR.
  
  
  
  Most of the isolates were resistant to meropenem, cefotaxime and imipenem (IPM). Also, 44/70 (62.85%) IPM resistant isolates were confirmed by DDST. Of the 44 clinical isolates, 41 (93%) isolates showed MIC≥4 µg/ml for IPM. Based on the DDST results, 36 (87.8%) were confirmed to be MBL producers. PCR amplification showed that 23/41 (56%) carried blaVIM and 10/41 (24.3%) possessed blaIMP gene. Also, 31/44 (70.5%) isolates contained class 1 integron gene.
  
  
  
  Our results highlight that the genes for Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase, IPM β-lactamases and class 1 integrons were predominantly present among the IPM-resistant P. aeruginosa tested in our province and also the frequency of blaVIM type is higher than blaIMP. This is the first report of P. aeruginosa strains producing blaIMP with high frequency from Zanjan province of Iran.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Sciences and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Markazi, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doosti
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramazani
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garshasbi
mesh_terms: D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001618:beta-Lactamases
keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Beta-lactamases; PCR