Screening of Biofilm-Producing Genes from Acinetobacter Isolates Obtained from Covid-19 Patients in ICU Hospital Section

Acinetobacter, recognized as a nosocomial pathogen, undergoes structural changes when exposed to various antibiotics, rendering it relatively resistant and posing challenges in disease treatment. This study aimed to identify two biofilm-related genes and assess the drug resistance profile of clinical strains. Clinical isolates were collected from the ICU of Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman, Iran, and phenotypically identified. Confirmation was achieved for 55 clinical Acinetobacter isolates. Antibiogram testing was conducted for meropenem, amikacin, ampicillin-sulbactam, cefotaxime, levofloxacin, rifampin, and tigecycline antibiotics. Biofilm formation ability was assessed using microtiter plates and crystal violet staining, followed by spectrophotometry at OD 490 nm. PCR was employed to determine the frequency of pslA and pelB genes. Analysis revealed that the highest age group affected was 1 to 15 years (19%), while the lowest was 26 to 35 years (5%). The frequencies of pslA and pelB genes were 34.5% and 65.5%, respectively, and drug resistance ranged from 72% to 100% for the mentioned antibiotics. Given the pelB gene's approximately twofold higher frequency compared to pslA, it suggests that in most studied isolates, Psl may often be disrupted or that intracellular c-di-GMP levels have significantly increased.