Extended-Spectrum β-lactamases and AmpC Production among Uropathogenic Isolates of Escherichia coli and Antibiogram Pattern

Emergence of drug resistance in Escherichia coli due to various mechanisms makes the treatment choices very limited. The objective of this research was to investigate extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC lactamases in E. coli isolates from urinary tract infections (UTIs) and to assess their antibacterial susceptibility patterns in a health-care context. Atotal of 70 E. coli isolates from clinically assumed cases of UTI patients during the 9months period. The isolates with bacteriuria (105 CFU/ml) were identified. ESBL and AmpC were detected phenotypically. Out of the 70 isolates of uropathogenic E. coli, ESBL production was detected in 34(48.6%) isolates and AmpC producer in 27(38.6%) of isolates in which 14(20%) of them showed coexistence phenotype of both ESBLs and AmpC and 23(32.9%) E. coli isolates were both ESBL and AmpC non-producer. The findings donated information regarding drug resistance. The level of resistance recorded in ESBL-and AmpC-producing uropathogenic E. coli of this study was raising; therefore, it is crucial to have a strict infection control measures and routine monitoring of ESBL-and AmpC-producing bacteria in clinical laboratory

Detection of carbapenemase in acinetobacter baumannii enrolled in the relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance

Background and objective: Acinetobacter baumannii is a significant pathogenic bacterium in the health system. The ability to resist antimicrobial drugs and biofilm formation gives the considerable capacity to A. baumannii for existing in a harsh environment, enabling this bacterium to cause hospital-acquired infection. Carbapenem is an important treatment option for severe nosocomial infection and patients infected by multidrug-resistant organisms. The main aim of this study is to detect carbapenemase in isolates, and its association with biofilm formation as well as antibiotic resistance. Methods: Sixty A. baumannii isolates were obtained from several hospital districts in Erbil city. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) of isolates were performed by VITEKII compact system. Phenotypic identification of carbapenem by sCIM also biofilm-forming was detected by 96 well method. Additionally, three antimicrobial agents were used if they were successful in eliminating biofilm formation. . Results: The majority of the isolates were from sputum, accounting 75% and antibiotic susceptibility showed that the isolates are resistant to the most available antibiotics, and significant of the isolates formed strong biofilm. The sensitivity of meropenem, ceftazidime, and ciprofloxacin were employed for ten isolates of A. baumannii after biofilm formation it was found that biofilm cells need more concentration of antibiotic than planktonic cells then phenotypic detection of carbapenem showed that the overall positive values were 30 (50.0%) for sCIM. Conclusion: We revealed that most resistant isolates have a greater capacity for biofilm development than sensitivite isolates. Biofilm-producing strains of A. baumannii cannot be killed with the relatively similar concentration of antimicrobial drugs that are needed to kill planktonic cells

DLX6-AS1: A long non-coding RNA with oncogenic features

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a heterogeneous group of ncRNAs with characteristic size of more than 200 nucleotides. An increasing number of lncRNAs have been found to be dysregulated in many human diseases particularly cancer. However, their role in carcinogenesis is not precisely understood. DLX6-AS1 is an lncRNAs which has been unveiled to be up-regulated in various number of cancers. In different cell studies, DLX6-AS1 has shown oncogenic role via promoting oncogenic phenotype of cancer cell lines. Increase in tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT while suppressing apoptosis in cancer cells are the effects of DLX6-AS1 in development and progression of cancer. In the majority of cell experiment, mediator miRNAs have been identified which are sponged and negatively regulated by DLX6-AS1, and they in turn regulate expression of a number of transcription factors, eventually affecting signaling pathways involved in carcinogenesis. These pathways form axes through which DLX6-AS1 promotes carcinogenicity of cancer cells. Xenograft animal studies, also have confirmed enhancing effect of DLX6-AS1 on tumor growth and metastasis. Clinical evaluations in cancerous patients have also shown increased expression of DLX6-AS1 in tumor tissues compared to healthy tissues. High DLX6-AS1 expression has shown positive association with advanced clinicopathological features in cancerous patients. Survival analyses have demonstrated correlation between high DLX6-AS1 expression and shorter survival. In cox regression analysis, DLX6-AS1 has been found as an independent prognostic factor for patients with various types of cancer

Lead, Nickel and Copper Concentration and Related Factors in Some Uncooked Vegetables Irrigated by Wastewater

Population density of Erbil City, Northern Iraq (where this work was carried out) estimated as more than 2 million. The sewage discharge of the city may reach 77760m3/ day during low level and 108000m3/ day during high-level periods. About 225 hectares of scattered farmlands are used by local farmers for production of uncooked vegetables for local need, all of which are irrigated by untreated sewage water. In the present work, about 28 physical and chemical variables those related to sewage water quality were assessed on fortnightly bases for 7 months. Some toxic heavy metals, namely; Pb, Ni and Cu bioaccumulation rates in sewage, soil and some uncooked vegetables in five different locations/ farms were followed up (only bioaccumulation rates of Pb, Ni and Cu in lettuce, cress, dill and radish are given here) (Full data can be obtained from both authors). Onset results revealed that Pb, Ni and Cu bioaccumulation rates calculated for lettuce, cress, dill and radish were surpassed maximum permissible levels (MPL). However, the bioaccumulation ranges calculated for lettuce, cress, dill and radish respectively were; lead (3.01-6.72mg/ kg/ dwt), (3.03-6.52mg/ kg/ dwt), (0.48-2.74mg/ kg/ dwt) and (0.41-3.00mg/ kg/ dwt); nickel (1.01-3.92mg/ kg/ dwt), (4.03-7.99mg/ kg/ dwt), (0.37-3.98mg/ kg/ dwt) and (1.00-3.95mg/ kg/ dwt) and copper (8.02-15.26mg/ kg/ dwt), (7.20-13.62mg/ kg/ dwt),(6.35-10.37mg/ kg/ dwt), (2.01-5.94mg/ kg/ dwt). The studied vegetables were showed different modes concerning heavy metal accumulation rates

Epidemiological Study of Breast Cancer in Erbil, Kurdistan Region

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the world. Compared to some other regions in the world, amount of information available about breast cancer epidemiology in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is scarce. This study is an attempt to enrich our knowledge about different epidemiological aspects of breast cancer in the region since epidemiological studies contribute quite significantly to the current knowledge of environmental and genetic risk factors and to the current treatment strategies for breast cancer. In addition, studies has shown that the past and ongoing research has a massive implication in improving the outcome of this common disease. This work takes all women diagnosed with breast cancer at Nanakaly Hospital in Erbil, Iraq as sample of the study. Patient characteristics were captured then statistical analysis was performed on these data sets. The majority of patients were found to be city dwellers and about 46% were diagnosed at stage II and 40% at stage III. The vast majority of cases tested positive for hormone receptors but negative for HER2

Phytochemical analysis and evaluation of antibacterial activity of Moringa oleifera extracts against gram-negative bacteria: an in vitro and molecular docking studies

Moringa oleifera seed and leaf are used traditionally for the treatment of various healthproblems (among others, hypertension, scrapes, skin infection, diabetes, genitourinaryillnesses), and to boost the immune system, as well as to act as a contraceptive. Inthis study, the antibacterial activity of seed and leaf M. oleifera extracts on three-gramnegative bacteria was investigated, and phytochemical analysis for the association ofantibacterial activity with the active constituents in the plant was determined. Moreover,understanding of the mechanism of action was achieved by applying the Auto DockVina technique. The phytochemical screening of M. oleifera seed and leaf extractsexhibited the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, cardioactive glycosides, flavonoids,tannins, phenols, steroids and terpenoids. In silico results revealed that compounds(4-O-caffeoyl quinic acid, 4-(α-L-rhamnopyranosyloxyl)-benzylisothiocyanate);(Isoquercitrin, 4-(α-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl glucosinolate); and (Astragalin,4-(α-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl glucosinolate) from leaf and seed have the highestbinding affinity and very good interactions with Transcriptional Activator Protein (LasR),Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), and Malonyl-CoA-acyl carrier proteintransacylase (FabD), respectively

Molecular Characterization of Carbapenem resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Erbil, Iraq

Antimicrobial drugs known as carbapenems are used to treat infections caused by bacteria that produce extended-spectrum -lactamases, such as those found in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Carbapenemases in drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria must be identified and differentiated at the phenotypic and molecular levels for effective infection management. Resistance genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli were characterized here by analyzing their phenotypic and genotypic profiles. Genotypic confirmation of carbapenemase synthesis in 98 K. pneumoniae and E. coli isolates was found. PCR was used to look for the metallo-beta-lactamase genes OXA-48 and NDM-1 in the collected isolates. The blaOXA-48 and blaNDM-1 genes were found in 22.45 and 12.24% of the isolates, respectively. The genes for carbapenemase resistance, blaOXA-48, and blaNDM-1, were identified in K. pneumoniae and E. coli isolates from the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan area of Iraq

OXA-carbapenemases present in clinical acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex isolates from patients in kurdistan region, Iraq

In addition to intrinsic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii, many different types of acquired resistance mechanisms have been reported, including the presence of VIM and IMP metallo β-lactamases and also of blaOXA-23-like and blaOXA-58-like enzymes. In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the multiresistant A. baumannii-calcoaceticus complex is prevalent. We characterized the different mechanisms of resistance present in clinical isolates collected from different wards and different hospitals from the Kurdistan region. One hundred twenty clinical nonduplicate A. baumannii-calcoaceticus complex isolates were collected from four hospitals between January 2012 and October 2013. The identification of the isolates was confirmed by MALDI-TOF. The sus

Synergistic antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles on multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacterial co-infection in COVID-19 patients

Data of Synergistic antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles on multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacterial co-infection in COVID-19 patientsTHIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

Characterization of genes related to the efflux pump and porin in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strains isolated from patients with COVID-19 after secondary infection

Abstract Background Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a multidrug resistant opportunistic pathogen that can cause secondary bacterial infections in patients with COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile of E. coli as a secondary bacterial infection in patients with COVID-19 and to assess the prevalence and characterization of genes related to efflux pumps and porin. Methods A total of 50 nonduplicate E. coli isolates were collected as secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients. The isolates were cultured from sputum samples. Confirmation and antibiotic susceptibility testing were conducted by Vitek 2. PCR was used to assess the prevalence of the efflux pump and porin-related genes in the isolates. The phenotypic and genotypic evolution of antibiotic resistance genes related to the efflux pump was evaluated. Results The E. coli isolates demonstrated high resistance to ampicillin (100%), cefixime (62%), cefepime (62%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (60%), cefuroxime (60%), and ceftriaxone (58%). The susceptibility of E. coli to ertapenem was greatest (92%), followed by imipenem (88%), meropenem (86%), tigecycline (80%), and levofloxacin (76%). Regarding efflux pump gene combinations, there was a significant association between the acrA gene and increased resistance to levofloxacin, between the acrB gene and decreased resistance to meropenem and increased resistance to levofloxacin, and between the ompF and ompC genes and increased resistance to gentamicin. Conclusions The antibiotics ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem, tigecycline, and levofloxacin were effective against E. coli in patients with COVID-19. Genes encoding efflux pumps and porins, such as acrA, acrB, and outer membrane porins, were highly distributed among all the isolates. Efflux pump inhibitors could be alternative antibiotics for restoring tetracycline activity in E. coli isolates