Prevalence of pslA and pslB Biofilm-Related Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from ICU Patients: A Cross-Sectional PCR-Based Study

Amini, Mohammad esmaeil; Razavi, Shabnam; Rahbar, Mohammad; Eslami, Parisa; Zahedi bialvaei, Abed

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Prevalence of pslA and pslB Biofilm-Related Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from ICU Patients: A Cross-Sectional PCR-Based Study

Mohammad esmaeil Amini¹

, Shabnam Razavi¹

, Mohammad Rahbar²

, Parisa Eslami³

, Abed Zahedi bialvaei⁴

1- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Microbiology, Iranian Reference Health Laboratory Research Center, Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Tehran, Iran
3- Department of Microbiology, Milad Hospital, Tehran, Iran
4- Microbial Biotechnology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , abedzahedi@gmail.com

Abstract: (11 Views)

Background: Biofilm formation is a key factor in the persistence and antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, especially in intensive care units. This cross-sectional study set out to explore how common the pslA and pslB genes are in multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from ICU patients in Tehran and how these genes relate to biofilm development.
Methods: We collected 112 P. aeruginosa isolates from patients admitted to the ICUs of 1000-bed tertiary care of Milad hospital, Tehran. The isolates were identified using standard microbiological techniques. To assess biofilm formation, we used the crystal violet staining assay using 96-well microtiter plate. DNA was extracted using a commercial kit, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was carried out to detect the pslA/B genes.
Results: Of 112 P. aeruginosa isolates, 92 (82.1%) P. aeruginosa isolates were biofilm producers, which the vast majority of biofilm-producing strains tested positive for both pslA (91, 98.9%) and pslB (92, 100%). One pslA-negative isolate from a wound specimen retained weak biofilm-forming capacity. These genes showed a strong association with biofilm development.
Conclusion: The high prevalence of pslA/B genes in biofilm-forming MDR isolates suggests their significant role in enhancing biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. This highlights the need to understand biofilm-related genes in managing ICU infections, though methodological limitations warrant further validation.