Evaluating the antibiotic resistant pattern and detecting the presence of class 1 integron genes among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from urine samples in Alborz province

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is one of the important human pathogens among which emergence of antibiotic resistant results in many problems in therapeutic process. Class 1 integron genes may facilitate the conferring of antibiotic resistance among bacterial population. In the present study, isolation of K. pneumoniae from urine samples, determining the antibiotic resistant pattern, and evaluating the presence of class 1 integron genes were investigated.

The obtained isolated bacteria were confirmed via biochemical tests. Evaluating the bacterial resistance against 10 different antibiotics was performed by agar disk diffusion method and antibiotic resistant pattern was also determined. PCR method was used in order to detect the presence of class 1 integron genes among isolates.

80 K. pneumoniae were isolated from the urine sample of attendees of clinical laboratories in Karaj. Meropenem and Nitrofurantoin were the most and least effective antibiotics, respectively. 16 isolates were considered as multi drug resistance (MDR) among which resistance to all 10 tested antibiotics was also observed. 29 isolates were also positive in terms of class 1 integron genes.

Treatment with the following antibiotics; Meropenem, Levofloxacin, Imipenem, and Gemtamicin, may be successful, since more than 80% of the isolates were susceptible to them. However, presence of MDR as well as detecting class 1 integron genes may be an alarming for infections caused by K. pneumoniae.

Knowing about the increase in the antibiotic resistance among K. pneumoniae isolates, the presence of MDR isolates, and also detecting the presence of genes involved in dissemination of resistant isolates may help to choose the more effective therapies.