Shanan Roula, Yousef Nihad, Balid M Emad, Tahan Zaher S
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.
J Clin Lab Anal. 2025 Feb;39(4):e25153. doi: 10.1002/jcla.25153. Epub 2025 Jan 21.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant opportunistic pathogen, especially in hospital-acquired infections, with plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance posing a major healthcare threat. This research aimed to isolate fluoroquinolone-resistant P. aeruginosa from patients at Aleppo University Hospital, assess the prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance, confirm molecular identity, identify plasmid-associated resistance genes, and investigate virulence factors.
A total of 430 samples were collected from patients and cultured on selective media for identification. Molecular confirmation was achieved through PCR techniques. Various media were used to assess virulence factors and antibiotic resistance while also investigating the prevalence of resistance-related genes.
The study identified 29 fluoroquinolone-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates. These strains exhibited complete resistance to penicillins and all four generations of cephalosporins while remaining 100% sensitive to colistin. Notably, both hemolysin and gelatinase production rates were found to be 100%, and 48.2% of the isolates formed strong biofilms. The aac(6')-Ib gene was present in 72.4% of the isolates, the qnrS gene in 44.8%, and the qnrB gene in 13.7%. Additionally, 37.8% of the isolates contained two types of resistance genes, while 62% had one type. Importantly, all resistant isolates (100%) possessed at least four virulence factors.
The findings indicate a prevalence of plasmid-associated fluoroquinolone resistance genes in the studied isolates. It is recommended to rationalize fluoroquinolone use to preserve their effectiveness against multidrug-resistant strains.
铜绿假单胞菌是一种重要的机会致病菌，尤其是在医院获得性感染中，质粒介导的氟喹诺酮耐药性对医疗保健构成重大威胁。本研究旨在从阿勒颇大学医院的患者中分离出耐氟喹诺酮的铜绿假单胞菌，评估氟喹诺酮耐药性的流行情况，确认分子身份，鉴定与质粒相关的耐药基因，并研究毒力因子。
从患者中总共收集了430份样本，并在选择性培养基上培养以进行鉴定。通过PCR技术实现分子确认。使用各种培养基评估毒力因子和抗生素耐药性，同时还研究耐药相关基因的流行情况。
该研究鉴定出29株耐氟喹诺酮的铜绿假单胞菌分离株。这些菌株对青霉素和所有四代头孢菌素均表现出完全耐药，而对黏菌素仍保持100%敏感。值得注意的是，溶血素和明胶酶的产生率均为100%，48.2%的分离株形成了强生物膜。72.4%的分离株中存在aac(6')-Ib基因，44.8%中存在qnrS基因，13.7%中存在qnrB基因。此外，37.8%的分离株含有两种耐药基因，而62%含有一种。重要的是，所有耐药分离株（100%）至少拥有四种毒力因子。
研究结果表明在所研究的分离株中存在与质粒相关的氟喹诺酮耐药基因。建议合理使用氟喹诺酮以保持其对多重耐药菌株的有效性。
