Investigating Class I Integron and Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Klebsiella pneumonia isolates in Babol, North of Iran

Integronsare are mobile genetic elements which play an essential role in the distribution of antibiotic-resistant genes among bacteria. This study aimed to investigate the Class I integron in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates and its association with multiple drug resistance (MDR).

We obtained 30 K. pneumoniae isolates from patients admitted to the ICU at Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Babol City, Mazandaran province, Iran. Different classes of antimicrobials were used to determine the resistance pattern. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect the int1 gene of the class I integrons. We also investigated the suitability of the two pairs of primers for the detection of the intl gene.

Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed 90% resistance to ceftizoxime, cefotaxime, and cefepime, 88.6% to cefazolin, gentamicin, ticarcillin, and ceftriaxone, 83.3% to imipenem, 60% to ciprofloxacin, 56.6% to ofloxacin, and 36.6% to amikacin. The PCRs with two pairs of primers, one designed previously and the other in this study, detected int1 in 36.6% and 60% of samples, respectively.

The int1 gene was of high prevalence (60%) in K. pneumoniae isolates. This factor could play a significant role in the spread of MDR strains. Also, failure to adhere to essential points in the design of the primer can lead to the production of primers with low specificity and efficiency, which reduces the proper identification of antibiotic resistance genes.