Molecular Identification of Gram-Negative Bacteria in Respiratory Samples of Cystic Fibrosis Patients from a Children Referral Hospital in Tehran

Gram-negative bacteria are a major cause of pulmonary infection in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The study aimed to conduct the molecular identification of Gram-negative bacterial flora causing pulmonary infection in children with CF. In this study, sputum samples were taken from 64 CF children undergoing treatment as outpatients or inpatients at a referral children’s hospital in Tehran. The PCR technique was used to detect the presence of Gram-negative bacteria, namely Pseudomonas spp., Acinetobacter baumannii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Burkholderia cepacia. All samples were positive for 16srRNA. Pseudomonas spp. and A. baumannii were detected in 47% and 14% of the studied samples, respectively. Co-colonization by Pseudomonas spp. and A. baumannii was observed in three (5%) samples. According to this survey, Pseudomonas spp. were the most prevalent Gram-negative bacteria isolated from CF patients with pulmonary infection by molecular assays.