title: Virulence Gene Profiles of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated From Iranian Hospital Infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most common hospital-acquired pathogen is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is a multidrug resistant bacterium causing systemic infections.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was carried out in order to investigate the distribution of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance properties of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from various types of hospital infections in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundred and seventeen human infection specimens were collected from Baqiyatallah and Payambaran hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The clinical samples were cultured immediately and samples positive for P. aeruginosa were analyzed for the presence of antibiotic resistance and bacterial virulence genes using PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using disk diffusion methodology with Müeller-Hinton agar.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-eight out of 127 (45.66%) male infection specimens and 44 out of 90 (48.88%) female infection specimens harbored P. aeruginosa. Also, 65% (in male specimens) and 21% (in female specimens) of respiratory system infections were positive for P. aeruginosa, which was a high rate. The genes encoding exoenzyme S (67.64%) and phospholipases C (45.09%) were the most common virulence genes found among the strains. The incidences of various β-lactams encoding genes, including bla TEM, bla SHV, bla OXA, bla CTX-M, bla DHA, and bla VEB were 94.11%, 16.66%, 15.68%, 18.62%, 21.56%, and 17.64%, respectively. The most commonly detected fluoroquinolones encoding gene was gyrA (15. 68%). High resistance levels to penicillin (100%), tetracycline (90.19%), streptomycin (64.70%), and erythromycin (43.13%) were observed too.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings should raise awareness about antibiotic resistance in hospitalized patients in Iran. Clinicians should exercise caution in prescribing antibiotics, especially in cases of human infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Nastaran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fazeli
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Momtaz
keywords: Hospital infections; Iran; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Virulence Factors