Role of Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal in Pathogenesis and Drug Resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii

الملخص

This study investigates the frequency of five essential efflux pump genes (AdeM, AdeG, AdeF, AdeH, and AdeL) in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii and how they relate to multidrug resistance (MDR). Using biochemical and molecular methods such as the API 20NE and VITEK 2 Compact systems, 26 isolates were obtained from hospitalized patients in Baghdad between November 2020 and February 2021 and identified as A. baumannii. 96% of isolates were also resistant to cefotaxime, colistin, piperacillin/tazobactam, and amoxicillin/clavulanate, according to antibiotic susceptibility testing conducted on Mueller-Hinton agar in accordance with CLSI standards. High resistance rates were also noted for aminoglycosides (amikacin, gentamicin), ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Resistance rates to imipenem, tetracycline, and meropenem ranged from 65% to 85%. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with certain primers and gel electrophoresis were used to identify efflux pump genes. All isolates (100%) had the AdeM gene, whereas 23% had AdeG, 38% had AdeL, and 7.6% had both AdeF and AdeH. Most of the isolates had a clonal origin, according to genomic studies, and a shared genetic profile suggested that they spread throughout hospital environments. These results demonstrate the vital role efflux pump systems play in mediating MDR in A. baumannii and the pressing need for focused approaches to lessen the effects of these mechanisms and lower the number of hospital-acquired infections.