Antimicrobial susceptibility and AP-PCR typing of acinetobacter Spp. strains

Acinetobacter spp., as important opportunistic pathogens, have been found to be responsible for an increasing number of nosocomial infections. This study was undertaken to investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular typing of Iranian isolates of A. baumannii. The study was conducted over a period of 19 months in three hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Acinetobacter spp. Were isolated from different clinical specimens using standard bacteriological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to the standard CLSI guideline using 17 antibiotic disks. The AP-PCR fingerprinting was carried out using ARB11 primer. The PCR product was run and visualized in 2% agarose gels and stained with ethidium bromide. The AP-PCR profiles were grouped depending on the patterns of the amplified bands. Sixty seven strains of Acinetobacter spp. [including 21 A. baumannii and 46 non- A. baumannii] were isolated. The sources of these isolates were blood, urine, wound, and respiratory tract. A. baumannii isolates were further studied. Results showed that all A. baumannii isolates were resistant to at least 11 antibiotics tested. AP-PCR analysis of A. baumannii strains resulted in 7 different patterns. The dominant AP-PCR pattern was E [57.1%]. Acinetobacter spp. are still important nosocomial pathogens in the region studied and most of isolates were multi-drug resistant. Our results also indicate that the AP-PCR technique represents a rapid and simple means for typing of A. baumannii

Comparative assessment of chlamydia trachomatis infection in Iranian women with cervicitis: a cross-sectional study

Chlamydia trachomatis infections are the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infections [STI] recognized throughout the world. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among a randomized statistical group of women suffering from cervicitis in Tehran- Iran. During a 12- month- period, Jan 2003 to Jan 2004, 142 endocervical samples were taken from women suffering from cervicitis attending to Mirzakoochakkhan Women Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Direct fluorescent antibody [DFA] and PCR techniques were used to detect Chlamydia trachomatis in endocervical samples. Twenty two [15.5%] [95% CI, 9.54-21.4] of 142 samples were diagnosed as Chlamydia positive according to PCR results, while DFA diagnosed 20 [14.1%] positive cases [95% CI, 8.37-19.8]. No statistically significant difference was found between two diagnosis methods applied in this study. The prevalence was the highest [25%] among women aged 25 to 29 yr and 35 to 39 yr. The x 2 test showed a significant relationship between positive test result and bearing a history of STI [P= 0]. The results of this study showed high prevalence of C. trachomatis infection among women suffering from cervicitis and suggested that patients diagnosed with genital Chlamydia infection should be referred to the genitourinary medicine clinic for further STI screening and partner notification