Class 1 integrons contributes to antibiotic resistance among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance factors, including the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and the presence of class 1 integrons among Escherichia coli isolated from clinical specimens. Materials and Methods: Bacterial species identification was performed using a VITEK-2 system (VITEK2 GN-card; bioMerieux, France). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was determined using the disk diffusion method according to the 2010 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect integrons and amplify variable regions of the bla(TEM), bla(SHV) and bla(CTX-M) genes. Gene cassettes were detected by deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing. Results: In this study, 58% (100/172) of clinical E. coli isolates were identified as ESBL producers. We found that 90% of the ESBL-producing E. coli isolates harbored the bla(CTX-M) gene, whereas only 59% and 32% possessed the bla(TEM) and bla(SHV) genes respectively. The presence of class 1 integrons was based on the detection of the integrase gene by PCR. A total of 69% of the ESBL-producing isolates were integron-positive. Resistance to 10 antibiotics, including quinolones, sulfonamides and beta-lactam/enzyme inhibitors, was significantly higher in the class 1 integron-positive isolates (P < 0.05). The occurrence of class 1 integrons in bla(TEM), bla(SHV) and bla(CTX-M) gene carriers was 72.9%, 84.4% and 68.9%, respectively. Class 1 integrons were detected in 61.5% of the isolates with only one ESBL genotype, but in 69.0% and 92.3% of the isolates with two or three different ESBL genotypes, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that clinical strains of bacteria with multiple ESBL genotypes may have greater opportunities to carry class 1 integrons.