Chronic Pulmonary Disease Due to Mycobacterium monacense Infection: The First Case from Iran

We herein report a case in which the recently characterized species Mycobacterium monacense was isolated from the sputum of an Iranian patient. This case represents the first isolation of M. monacense from Iran. The isolate was identified by conventional and molecular techniques. Our findings show that M. monacense infection is not restricted to developed countries.

Molecular identification and conventional susceptibility testing of iranian clinical mycobacterium fortuitum isolates

Rapidly growing mycobacteria [RGM] are capable of producing diseases in humans. Since mycobacteria vary in their susceptibility, precise identification is critical for adoption of correct drug therapy. The main aim of this study was molecular identification and evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Iranian clinically isolated Myocbacterium fortuitum. A total of 72 presumptively identified isolates of clinical atypical mycobacteria collected by Isfahan Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine during 2006-2008 were included in the current study. A combination of conventional and molecular tests was applied to identify the isolates. Molecular methods including genus and group specific PCR and PCR-Restriction Algorithm [PRA] based on hsp65 gene were applied to achieve exact identification of mycobacterial strains. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing on M. fortidtum isolates was performed by in-house prepared broth microdilution test. Out of 72 collected atypical mycobacteria isolates, we identified 25 strains of M. fortuitum. All strains had the specific molecular markers of mycobacterial identity and similar species specific PRA pattern of the international type strain of M fortuitum. Drug susceptibility testing showed that the M. fortidtum isolates are sensitive to amikacin, sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin [100%], imipenem [92%], clarithromycin [76%], cefoxitin [56%] and doxycycline [16%]. Molecular identification of atypical mycobacteria based on PRA is a reliable and rapid approach which can identify mycobacterial strains to the species level. Our study showed that M. fortuitum plays a significant role in pulmonary and extrapulmonary infection in patients and should be given proper considerations when clinical samples are processed

Genetic diversity and drug resistance of helicobacter pylori strains in Isfahan, Iran

Resistance to antimicrobial agents, particularly metronidazole and clarithromycin, is frequently observed in Helicobacter pylori and may be associated with treatment failure. This resistance rate varies according to the population studied. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of antimicrobial resistance of H. pylori isolates from dyspeptic patients in Isfahan. Antral gastric biopsies from 230 dyspeptic patients were cultured. Susceptibility testing to commonly used antibiotics performed on pure cultures of 80 H. pylori-positive isolates by Modified Disk Diffusion Method [MDDM]. Genomic DNA extracted and subjected for study of entire genomic pattern using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA- Polymerase Chain Reaction [RAPD-PCR]. The overall rates of primary resistance were 30.0%, 8.75%, 6.25%, 3.75%, 3.75%, and 2.50% for metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, tetracycline, and amoxicillin, respectively. Multiple antibiotic resistances were observed in 8 of 27 resistant isolates [29.6%] that mainly were double resistance with the prevalence of 6.25%. No association between antimicrobial resistance and either the gender, age or clinical presentation of the patients were detected. In RAPD-PCR, great diversity observed in 27 resistant strains isolated from different patients and this heterogeneity was not significantly different from susceptible strains. Primary H, pylori resistance to metronidazole in our population was lower than the developing world and even other parts of Iran, to ciprofloxacin was considerable in comparison with results in most other countries. Moreover, antibiotic resistance had no effect on genomic pattern of H. pylori isolates. Finally, pretreatment H. pylori isolates susceptibility testing is highly recommended