ABSTRACT
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are at the forefront of the swiftly developing scope of nanotechnology. In the current study, we investigated the green synthesis of AgNPs using Artemisia scoporia as a reducing and capping agent. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy, dispersive absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The efficacy of the nanoparticle synthesis was assessed by comparing the antibiofilm activity with commercial AgNPs. The effect of sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of AgNPs on biofilm formation was determined by microtiter plate assay. The expression level of the icaA and icaR genes was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. The structural and functional aspects of AgNPs were confirmed. The expression levels of icaA and icaR in the isolates exposed to sub-MIC of both commercial and biosynthetic AgNPs were lower and higher than in the control group, respectively. Our results also indicated that greater reduction and induction in icaA and icaR gene expression were noticed with the sub-MIC doses of biosynthetic AgNP versus commercial AgNP, respectively. This study suggested the application of AgNPs as a significant therapeutic and clinical option in the future and usage for fabricating medical implants. Nevertheless, further investigation is required for examining the pharmaceutical and medicinal properties of AgNPs.
Subject(s)
Artemisia/chemistry , Biofilms/drug effects , Gene Expression/drug effects , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Silver/chemistry , Silver/pharmacology , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemical synthesis , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Biofilms/growth & development , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial , Green Chemistry Technology , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Nanomedicine , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology , Staphylococcus aureus/genetics , Staphylococcus aureus/growth & development , Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Little information exists on the burden of intensive care unit (ICU) to the posttransplant rehospitalizations of kidney allograft recipients. We do not clearly know the extent of the need for ICU during rehospitalizations and causes of readmissions. In this study, we aimed to assess ICU admissions of kidney transplant recipients, to determine the risk factors of ICU admissions in rehospitalized patients, and to evaluate the additional burden of ICU admission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 581 posttransplant rehospitalizations of kidney transplant recipients were assessed for ICU admission. Clinical characteristics of the patients and the length of hospital stay, transplantation-admission interval, hospitalization costs, and mortality rate were reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty-five rehospitalized kidney transplant recipients (4.3%) had been admitted to ICU with kidney dysfunction (36.0%), cerebrovascular accident (24.0%), sepsis (16.0%), brain tumor (8.0%), brain abscess (4.0%), diabetic ketoacidosis (4.0%), trauma (4.0%), and hemodynamic shock (4.0%). The risk factors of referral to ICU were higher age (P = .001) and hospitalization for cerebrovascular accident (P = .001) and malignancy (P = .004). Additional burdens were 1.8, 3.3, and 11.4 times as high as the rehospitalization burden for the length of hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and mortality rate, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Age and some special causes of hospitalizations are risk factors of ICU admission of kidney transplant recipients, and this occurs in about 5% of rehospitalizations. Admission to ICU adds considerably to the burden of rehospitalizations, warranting measures to prevent conditions that lead to the need for intensive care in these patients.
