First prevalence of metallo beta-lactamases producing Enterobacteriacea in Iranian cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-associated infections, recently renamed Healthcare-associated infections, are among the most common life-threatening complications of hospitalized patients, especially the immunocompromised patients. Regarding the significant role of Enterobacteriaceae in nosocomial infections and also the increasing trends of carbapenem-resistant strains, the present study aimed to evaluate the antibiotic resistance pattern and the occurrence of metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) in Enterobacteriaceae strains from Iranian cancer patients. METHODS: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in teaching hospitals of two cities in the central parts of Iran during the 6 months period from December 2015 to May 2016. The Enterobacteriaceae isolates were obtained from different clinical specimens and were identified using standard microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern for the bacterial isolates was determined using the disk diffusion method. The presence of antibiotic resistance genes was determined by PCR method. RESULTS: The distribution of Enterobacteriaceae isolates were 74 (71.8%) E. coli, 23 (22.3%) Klebsiella spp., 3 (2.9%) Proteus spp., 2 (1.9%) Salmonella spp., and 1 (1%) Shigella spp. The results of antibiotic susceptibility revealed that all of the isolates were multiple-drug resistant (MDR) and 60% of them were (excluded Salmonella and Shigella) carbapenem-resistant. Of all the carbapenem-resistant isolates, 31.7% were MBL-positive. Meanwhile, fosfomycin and minocycline were the most effective antibiotics against MBL-positive bacteria. Moreover, none of the investigated carbapenemases genes were found in MBL-positive isolates. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of MBLs producing Enterobacteriaceae in causing nosocomial infections in cancer patients. However, carbapenem resistance was not associated with the presence of MBL genes such as IMP, VIM, and SPM. Vatus haeque crent Catilium ausatem nendactui scerem clere forum dicaur hili consceri plin ternul ut audam que factus, que ad ponis. Go vicaet L. Legilici pos.

Prevalence of metallo­beta­lactamase producing Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from intensive care unit in tertiary care hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: The emergence of Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing Acinetobacter baumannii has become a global concern in nosocomial infections. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of MBL producing genes among clinical isolates of A. baumannii from hospitalized patients. METHODS: This study was performed from October 2015 to October 2016 at three teaching hospitals located in Isfahan, Iran. Totally, 100 A-baumannii isolates were collected from clinical specimens and identified as A-baumannii using standard microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was determined by disc diffusion method according to the CLSI. Furthermore, the determination of bla IMP-1, bla IMP-2, bla VIM-1, bla VIM-2and bla SIM-1 was detected by PCR. RESULTS: Totally, Sixty-eight percent (68%) of isolates of A. baumannii were recovered from tracheal aspirate. According to the antibiotic susceptibility pattern, the highest level of resistance was against ciprofloxacin (99%), while among tested antibiotics amikacin (10%) was found to be the most effective. 21%, 4%, 7% and 6% isolates carried bla IMP-1, bla IMP-2, bla VIM-1 and bla VIM-2 genes, respectively. Also, bla SIM-1 was not detected in any of the isolates. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed high rate of the MBL producing A-baumannii isolates in our region and displayed that MBLs producing A-baumannii strains are emerging threats to ICUs.

The Chehr Abad "Salt men" and the isotopic ecology of humans in ancient Iran.

We have carried out isotopic analysis (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) on five salt-preserved bodies from the salt mine at Chehr Abad, Iran, dating from the 4th C. BC through to the 4th C. AD. In an attempt to identify the geographical origins of these people, we have analyzed over a hundred archeological bone samples from various archeological sites in Iran. From the faunal remains, we observe that the entire ecosystem appears to be enriched in (15)N, which we suggest is due to the semi-arid nature of the region. We have also observed a number of cattle remains from one site (Nargas Tepe) which have a significant C(4) component to their diet from the 4th millennium BC. By combining our data with those published by [Bocherens et al.: Environ Archaeol 5 (2000) 1-19; Bocherens et al.: J Arch Sci 33 (2006) 253-264], we suggest that two of the "mummies" may have come from the Tehran/Qazvin Plain region (i.e., relatively local to the salt mine), and a further two appear on isotopic grounds to have come from the northeast of Iran or the Turkmenistan steppes. The fifth (no. 4), the best preserved, appears to have come from further afield. Collectively, these mummies and their contexts augment our knowledge of social mobility and technical innovation in Iran during the Achaemenid period.

Apoptosis-inducing effect of spiroaminopyrimidine analogue in NB4 leukemia cells via down-regulation of BIRC5 expression.

AIM: It has been reported that spiroaminopyrimidine derivatives inhibited the growth and proliferation of various cancer cell lines. In the present study, we evaluated cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects of 2,4-diamino-1,3-diazaspiro[5.5]-9-tert-butyl-2, 4-diene-5-carbonitril (9-tBAP) on NB4 acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cells were treated with 10-100 µM of 9-tBAP. Cytotoxic activity of the compound was measured using the MTT assay. Apoptosis was investigated by Hoechst 33258 staining as well as by Annexin V/PI double staining. RESULTS: The compound under study was found to be highly active cell growth inhibitor with IC50 of 30.0 ± 3.5 µM inducing apoptosis in NB4 cells. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry showed a time-dependent increase in sub-G1 cell population. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the treatment with the compound down-regulated the BIRC5 expression in a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: 9-tBAP displayed potent anti-leukemic activity in vitro thus warranting further investigation.

Detection of New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase-1 (NDM-1) in carbapenem- resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from a university hospital in Iran.

BACKGROUND: New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1(NDM-1) is a novel type of metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) which inactivates all ß-lactam antibiotics except aztreonam. Enterobacteriaceae expressing NDM-1 have been identified worldwide. The aim of this study was to detect MBLs in carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates obtained from patients hospitalized in one of the university hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. METHODS: Of the 112 isolates obtained from various clinical samples, 49 were selected for carbapenemase detection based on their reduced susceptibility to imipenem or meropenem according to the disc diffusion method. These isolates were screened for carbapenemase and MBL production using the Modified Hodge Test (MHT) and Epsilometer test (E-test) MBL strips. Polymerase chain reaction was performed on all 49 isolates using specific primers to detect genes encoding IMP (active on imipenem), VIM (Verona integron-encoded metallo-ß-lactamase), SPM-1 (Sao Paulo metallo-ß-lactamase) and NDM-1. RESULTS: Among 49 carbapenem-resistant isolates, 32 (65.3 %) were positive for MHT and 6 (12.2 %) were found positive for blaNDM-1. Other MBL genes were not detected. CONCLUSION: This is the second report on the detection of blaNDM-1 in Iran since it was first reported by Shahcheraghi and colleagues in 2012. This study indicated that resistance to carbapenems and isolation of bacteria producing NDM-1 is increasing. Therefore, the rapid detection of isolates expressing NDM-1 is essential to control their spread. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (3): 205-209.

Drug resistance pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from cystic fibrosis patients at Isfahan AL Zahra hospital, Iran (2009-2010).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease. Infections in these patients are mostly caused by three bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenza and particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Carbapenems including antibiotics are used to combat infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In recent years, carbapenems resistant strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from clinical specimens are being reported. Decrease in drug penetration and production of metalobeta lactamase (MBLS) have been proposed as mechanisms of resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this descriptive study, the population under investigation was 27 patients suffering from CF in Alzahra hospital of Isfahan. Clinical specimens were taken by deep swabbing from throat and data from every patient was recorded in a questionnaire. The specimens were cultured and isolated organisms were identified as P. aeruginosa using standard tests. Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to determine the bacterial drug resistance pattern. Strains of P. aeruginosa were checked for production of MBLS using disk impregnated with IPM-EDTA and PCR targeting of bla(VIM). RESULTS: Among the 27 patients, 7 (26%) had P. aeruginosa infection. In total, 11 P. aeruginosa isolates were taken. All isolates were susceptible to imipenem, ticarcillin, ciprofloxacin and piperacillin. The lowest scale of susceptibility belonged to ceftazidime (72.2%) followed by tobramycin (45.4%). None of the strains were positive for the bla(VIM) gene. CONCLUSION: Isolates of P. aeruginosa from CF patients in Isfahan were susceptible to antibiotics during the study period.

Molecular Characterization of Environmental Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria Using PCR- RFLP Analysis of 441 Bp Heat Shock Protein 65 Fragments.

BACKGROUND: Non- Tuberculous Mycobacteria are environmental opportunistic pathogens that can be found in various terrestrial and aquatic habitats. There are an epidemiological links between species isolated in tap water and those isolated from patients. hsp65 gene has more variability in its sequences, compared to the some more conserved genes in NTM, for identification of mycobacteria to species level. In this study, the prevalence of NTM in Isfahan City water samples was determined using culture, biochemical tests and PCR-RFLP analyses of hsp65 gene. METHODS: Eighty-five water samples were collected and cultured. The mycobacterial isolates were identified by conventional biochemical tests. A 441 bp fragment of hsp65 genes was amplified and digested by two restriction enzymes, BstEII and HaeII. Digested products were analyzed using polyacrilamid gel electrophoresis (PAGE). RESULTS: 25.9% of the water samples contained different species of NTM. Dominant isolates were M. fortuitum (26.7%), M. chelonae like organism (13.3%) and M. mucogenicum (13.3%). Nineteen isolates of Mycobacteria were differentiated using hsp65 genes PCR-RFLP. Three isolates could not be identified at the species level because their RFLP patterns were different from other known PCR-RFLP profiles. There were different hsp65 gene PCR-RFLP profiles produced by digestion with BstEII and HaeIII. CONCLUSION: This study showed that PCR-RFLP of hsp65 gene in mycobacteria is more reliable method for identification of NTM at the specie level than conventional phenotypic methods (P<0.05). In comparing of RFLP patterns of this study to other investigation, some minor differences were negligible.

Cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of uranium (VI) complexed with 2, 6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid.

Uranium (VI) (U(VI)) forms a complex with dipicolinic acid (2, 6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid).This complex can be used for a highly sensitive and selective determination of uranium by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (ACSV) using a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) as working electrode. Influence of effective parameters such as pH, concentration of ligand, accumulation potential and accumulation time on the sensitivity and selectivity were studied. The detection limit (3sigma of the blank value) obtained under the optimal experimental conditions is 0.27 x 10(-9)M after 150s of the accumulation time. The peak current is proportional to the concentration of U(VI) in the range of 1 x 10(-9) to 1.2 x 10(-7)M. The relative standard deviation of 2.5% at the 3.5 x 10(-8)M level was obtained. The interference of some metal ions and anions were studied. The application of this method was tested in the determination of uranium in synthetic and natural water samples.