Molecular Detection of PstS Gene Responsible for Multidrug Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates

The goal of this study was to determine the presence of the gene PstS implicated in the resistance to some antibiotics that used for chemotherapy of infectious diseases caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Twenty two P. aeruginosa isolates from two hospitals in in Al-Najaf, Iraq, were analyzed over six months study period (2013-2014). The isolates were recovered from patients with multiple types of infections, mostly respiratory tract, urinary tract and postoperative wound infections. The antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using the disk diffusion method for some antibiotics used in the treatment for P. aeruginosa infections. In order to identify the gene implicated in antimicrobial resistance, PCR technique were used. The bacterial isolates appear resistances against some antibiotics were: Cefepime (90.9%), Piperacillin (81.81%), Tobramycin (54.54%), Aztreonam (31.82%), Gentamicin (27.27%) while Ciprofloxacin (0%) which was the most effective anti-pseudomonas agents in this study. PCR products of the expected size were obtained for PstS gene at the isolates that were resistant to antimicrobials(59.1%). At the sensitive isolates amplicons were not obtained.