title: Antibiotic Resistance Pattern and Distribution of pslA Gene Among Biofilm Producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated From Waste Water of a Burn Center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pseudomonas aeruginosa is considered as a major cause of hospital-acquired infections due to its high antibacterial resistance. Biofilm formation is a well-known pathogenic mechanism in P. aeruginosa infections, since sessile bacteria are protected in an extracellular matrix of exopolysaccharide. The expression of polysaccharide synthesis locus (pslA gene) can be important for biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this research was to evaluate the antibiotic resistance pattern and distribution of the pslA gene among biofilm-producing P. aeruginosa isolates obtained from waste water of Burn Centre in Guilan, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty isolates of P. aeruginosa were obtained from waste water of a burn center. The P. aeruginosa isolates were identified using standard bacteriological procedures. Drug susceptibility test was performed by disk diffusion method for all the isolates against nine antimicrobial agents. Biofilm formation was measured by microtiter plate assay. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify the presence of the pslA gene among the isolates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biofilm formation was observed in 70% of the P. aeruginosa isolates. The potential formation of biofilm was significantly associated with resistance to gentamicin, imipenem, tobramycin and piperacillin. In addition, the pslA gene only existed in biofilm-producing isolates with a frequency of 42.9% (n = 15).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the present study well demonstrated that the P. aeruginosa biofilm-producing isolates were more resistant to the tested antibiotics. Furthermore, because of wide distribution, it seems that the pslA gene is associated with biofilm formation.
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Para Medicine Faculty, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors: Shiva
authors: S
authors: Emami
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Para Medicine Faculty, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors: Iraj
authors: I
authors: Nikokar
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Para Medicine Faculty, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors: Yusuf
authors: Y
authors: Ghasemi
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Para Medicine Faculty, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors: Monireh
authors: M
authors: Ebrahimpour
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Para Medicine Faculty, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors: Hadi
authors: H
authors: Sedigh Ebrahim-Saraie
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Para Medicine Faculty, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors: Afshin
authors: A
authors: Araghian
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Para Medicine Faculty, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors: Sobhan
authors: S
authors: Faezi
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Para Medicine Faculty, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
authors: Mojtaba
authors: M
authors: Farahbakhsh
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors: Abdolhalim
authors: A
authors: Rajabi
keywords: Antimicrobial Drug Resistance; Biofilms; Burn Units; Pseudomonas aeruginosa