Molecular Investigation of Class I Integron in Klebsiella Pneumoniae Isolated from Intensive Care Unit (Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Babol; 2010)

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most important agents of nosocomial infections and drug resistance. Integrons are genetic elements that carry genetic determinants for antimicrobial drug resistance. The role of class I integron genes is very important to transfer of antibiotic resistance. The aim of the present study is isolation of Klebsiella pneumoniae from the environment and equipments in intensive care unit (ICU), investigation of class I integron genes in these strains and determine their susceptibility or resistance to antibiotics.

The descriptive and analytical study was carried out on 30 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolatesd from ICU of Shahid Beheshti hospital in Babol, Iran in 2010. Sampling of environment and equipments in ICU was carried out. After isolation and extraction of DNA, class I integron gene was investigated by PCR and specific primers. Also for the sensitivity test to antibiotics of Ciprofloxacin, Cefazolin, Ceftriaxone, Ceftizoxime, Cefotaxime, Amikacin, Ofloxazin, Imipenem, Cefepim, Ticarcilin and Gentamicin was performed by disk diffusion method.

From 30 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, 36.6 percent (11 samples) have had class I integron gene. After sensitivity test, from 9 of the 26 resistant isolates to Cefazolin, 10 of 25 resistant isolates to Ceftriaxone, 11 of 27 resistant isolates to Ceftizoxime, Cefotaxime and Cefepim, 9 of 18 resistant isolates to Ciprofloxacin and Imipenem, 11 of 26 resistant isolates to Ticarcilin, 5 of 17 resistant isolates to Ofloxazin, 5 of 11 resistant isolates to Amikacin and 8 of 26 resistant isolates to Gentamicin had class I integron gene.

The results of this study show contamination of environment and equipments in ICU was increased. The class I integron gene frequency in these strains is high; that can have important and basic role in occurrence and transfer of antibiotic resistance. The antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae, isolated from the environment and ICU equipments, is very high; that it can be due to the irregular use of antibiotics. Measures should be thought to prevent occurrence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance elements.