PREVALENCE OF CLASS 1, CLASS 2, CLASS 3 INTEGRONS IN ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT UROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHERIA COLI ISOLATES

Background : Uropathogenic Eschericheria coli (UPEC) isolates were resistant to commonly used antibiotics and multi - drug resistant strains are emerging in hospital settings. Integron (IGN) are genetic elements containing integrase gene, attl site and gene cassettes which carry multiple antibiotic resistant genes. Although IGNs themselves are not mobile, the integrase enzyme excises and integrates the gene cassettes from and into the IGN. Class 1 integrons have been extensively studied because these were most prevalent among clinical isolates. Obje ctives : To investigate the prevalence of Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 integrons in drug resistant UPEC isolates. Methods : In this study, UPEC isolates were determined for the antibiotic susceptibility patterns to ten antibiotics and the drug resistant iso lates were investigated for the class 1, class 2 and class 3 IGNs by polymerase chain reaction methods. Results : Out of drug resistant isolates, 25 isolates were observed to have class 1 IGN while both class 2 and 3 IGNs were negative in all isolates. Thr ee isolates were resistant to 7 antibiotics including cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin and co - trimethoxazole. IGNs from these isolates were plasmid - borne. Conclusion : The isolates which were resistant to these four antibiotics had possibility of sequ ence type (ST) 131 which is the pandemic clone which carries multiple drug resistant genes. As a consequence, this clonal group gives rise to treatment failure and fatal complication. As a further recommendation, it is necessary to proceed to multi - locus s equence typing to investigate the possibility of ST131 which will also be valuable information for the clinician