Characterization and frequency of antibiotic resistance related to membrane porin and efflux pump genes among Acinetobacter baumannii strains obtained from burn patients in Tehran, Iran

Objective: To explore the characterization and frequency of antibiotic resistance related to membrane porin and efflux pump genes among Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) strains obtained from burn patients in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 100 strains of A. baumannii isolated from burn patients visiting teaching hospitals of Tehran were collected from January 2016 to November 2017. After A. baumannii strains were confirmed, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done via Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. PCR amplification was performed for detection of beta-lactamase adeR, OprD, adeS genes among A. baumannii strains. Results: All isolates (100%) were resistant to ceftazidime, cefotaxime, cefepime, ciprofloxacin, and piperacillin, and most isolates indicated high resistance (95%-97%) to meropenem, imipenem, gentamicin, ceftriaxone, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, piperacillin-tazobactam, amikacin, and tetracycline. The most effective antibiotic against A. baumannii isolates was colistin (97% sensitivity), followed by tigecycline. The frequency of OprD, adeS, and adeR genes were 98%, 91%, and 77%, respectively. Conclusions: This study shows that the majority of A. baumannii isolates are highly resistant to the antibiotics most commonly used in burn patients. Also, high distribution of OprD and adeRS genes may be responsible for the observed resistances among A. baumannii isolates that demonstrate the possible role of both efflux pumps in simultaneous of carbapenemase production during antibiotic resistance.