Aliramezani A, Soleimani M, Fard RMN, Nojoomi F. Virulence determinants and biofilm formation of
Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from hospitalized patients.
Germs 2019;
9:148-153. [PMID:
31646145 DOI:
10.18683/germs.2019.1171]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Introduction
Acinetobacter baumannii are nosocomial bacteria that are responsible for outbreaks and severe infections in hospitalized patients globally. The major target of this study was the characterization of virulence determinants and biofilm formation of A. baumannii isolates from hospitalized patients.
Methods
In total, 100 A. baumannii were collected from three hospitals in Tehran, Iran, 2017-2018. The isolates were assessed using phenotypic and genotypic methods and then screened for virulence factor encoding genes such as plcN and lasB using conventional polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, bacterial biofilm formation, motility and hemolytic and proteolytic activities were assessed.
Results
Of 100 A. baumannii isolates, 20 isolates included plcN and four isolates included lasB using PCR assay. Overall, 21 isolates were negative for biofilm formation while 45, 20 and 14 of the total isolates were reported as weak, moderate and strong biofilm producers, respectively. All isolates were positive for bap genes using PCR. Moreover, 35 isolates were motile on Luria-Bertani media, 47 isolates were α-hemolytic on Brucella blood agar media and all isolates displayed proteolytic activity.
Conclusions
Healthcare-associated infections with A. baumannii are a major concern, importantly due to their potency to acquire virulence factor genes. Therefore, shedding light in the discovery of new antimicrobial and/or therapeutic agents against virulent A. baumannii strains seem to be necessary.
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