ABSTRACT
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative bacterium that causes serious illnesses, including pneumonia, liver abscess, meningitis, bloodstream infections, and urinary tract infections (UTIs). This study aimed to isolate and diagnose K. pneumoniae from clinical specimens of urine from patients with UTIs and perform molecular detection of the blaSHV-la gene in K. pneumonia in the Najaf Province, Iraq. The study included 100 clinical specimens from October 2021 to March 2022. As an initial diagnosis, K. pneumoniae isolates were diagnosed based on culture and biochemical features. Apart from the usage of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to identify the blaSHV-la gene, the final diagnostic was achieved by the automated Vitek-2 compact system. The biochemical findings revealed that 40 out of every 100 isolates tested positive for K. pneumoniae. These results were validated by Vitek, which revealed that 40/100 of the samples tested positive for K. pneumoniae, and by PCR utilizing the blaSHV-la gene, which showed that 13/40 of the samples tested positive for K. pneumoniae isolated from the urine of patients with UTIs. In conclusion, the results indicated that the use of the Vitek-2 technique was required to confirm the accurate identification of the pathogen. Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates showed multidrug resistance to antibiotics commonly used to treat UTIs. The blaSHV gene encoded for Extended-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic was found almost in K. pneumoniae isolates.
Subject(s)
Klebsiella Infections , Pneumonia , Urinary Tract Infections , Humans , beta-Lactamases/genetics , beta-Lactamases/therapeutic use , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/genetics , Iraq/epidemiology , Klebsiella Infections/drug therapy , Klebsiella Infections/epidemiology , Klebsiella Infections/microbiology , Klebsiella pneumoniae/genetics , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Urinary Tract Infections/microbiologyABSTRACT
Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is an autosomal recessive disorder of variable presentation caused by the deficiency of the 3ß- hydroxycholesterol Δ(7) - reductase. Over the past 10 years, our biochemical laboratory has screened 191 plasma samples for possible SLOS, measuring the plasma cholesterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The SLOS was confirmed in only five Arab patients with growth retardation, global developmental delay, dysmorphic features, and 2-3 toe syndactyly, among other findings. All cases represented moderate to severe form of SLOS. One patient had a unique cardiovascular malformation (cor triatriatum with significant obstruction of the right pulmonary veins). Two previously reported N287K (861 C>A) and R352Q (1055 G>A) and a novel R352L (1055 G>T) mutations were identified in the DHCR7 gene in these patients. The paper sheds light on this rare disease among Arabs and reviews all reported SLOS cases in the Arab population.
Subject(s)
Arabs/genetics , Mutation , Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors/genetics , Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome/diagnosis , Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome/genetics , Child , Child, Preschool , Consanguinity , Exons , Facies , Female , Homozygote , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pedigree , PhenotypeABSTRACT
The present work aims to study the effects of the blood-microstructure on the electrical conduction from two different but correlated properties: Electrical and mechanical (viscosity), and to derive useful parameters for the evaluation of electrical conduction as a function of the blood viscosity. ac-conductivity and dielectric constant of normal and diabetic blood are measured in the frequency range 10 kHz-1 MHz at the room temperature. An empirical relation relating the resistivity and viscosity of the blood has been presented. The results show that a microfluidic device is a viable and simple solution for determination of electrical and rheological behaviors of blood samples.
